tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70304429137904154372024-03-06T02:37:10.658-05:00Karrin Allyson's Road Wordson the road, over the moon, notes from the jazz wonderlandKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-49482308940418858912013-07-30T13:58:00.000-04:002013-07-30T13:58:23.209-04:00Karrin's RoadWords - July 2013<br />
Hello and thank you for checking in.<br /><br />I left off in May, when we had a beautiful night of music at the new jazz venue in NYC: "54 Below" This was the former "Studio 54" and is once again, a very happening place. I had a great band: Todd, Ed and Steve Cardenas. The “Jazz Tuesdays” at 54 Below are presented by WBGO and I had the great pleasure of doing an interview with Michael Bourne the day before. He's a joy and knows his stuff. Click the following link to listen to this interview: <a href="http://www.wbgo.org/blog/singer-karrin-allyson-with-michael-bourne">http://www.wbgo.org/blog/singer-karrin-allyson-with-michael-bourne</a><br /><br />And you can check out a live performance of that same group in DC on video at this link: <a href="http://www.voanews.com/media/video/1694189.html?z=0&zp=1">http://www.voanews.com/media/video/1694189.html?z=0&zp=1</a>. Eric Felten and his crew did a wonderful job.<br /><br />Spent some time in Pioneer Valley, and Sea Isle New Jersey. Paid a visit to our dear friend Vicki Watson in Cape May at her wonderful restaurant, the Merion Inn. She has live jazz 7 nights a week.<br /><br />Went with Ann Hampton Callaway to hear our friend Sacha Boutros at NYC’s Kitano, with her wonderful band. We both sat in and had great fun.<br /><br />Off to Aspen, CO for their jazz series at the Nell. Jeff Johnson and Rod Fleeman played great as usual and we had a lovely crowd.<br /><br />Next, I went to New Orleans to record with my friend and wonderful singer Cindy Scott, for her new project. We recorded one of my originals which is very exciting for me! Check out Cindy's website here: <a href="http://cindyscott.us/">http://cindyscott.us/</a>.<br /><br />And speaking of which, I'm in LA this summer working with Chris Caswell on our new originals and holiday material to be released sometime before the year is out. How fun! You can also check out another project I was a guest on here - it's a really fun and creative time!<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQnejkWLgd4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUSkiCSvJ23I6_A5wq_pg0wg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQnejkWLgd4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUSkiCSvJ23I6_A5wq_pg0wg</a><br /><br />In between I look forward to spending some time in Hawaii with my sister - a little Aloha Spirit should 'ease the bite of it'.<br /><br />Keep cool and enjoy your summer, I hope to see you out there sometime very soon. Thank you for listening!!<br />Love,<br />KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-92193529865514085942013-05-20T17:14:00.002-04:002013-05-20T17:14:53.700-04:00Karrin's RoadWords - May 2013 <b>Greetings!</b><br /><br />I left off in February. It's been a very full year thus far. Our February/NYC masterclass was a big success. With about 15 students, we got through a lot of music. I was very proud of all of them. It's so gratifying for me to hear and see progress and love of music in my students. Shall we do another next year? (Answer is yes!) Thank you to Hiroko as always.<br /><br />On to a week at the Blue Note where we double-billed with Raul Midon, a lovely, very talented singer, song writer and guitarist. It was a great and packed week. And, I have to say my band mates (Steve Nelson, Rod Fleeman, Ed Howard and Todd Strait) were beautiful!!<br /><br />I got to see family in Minneapolis and had lots of fun always with them. Even helped (a little) my niece move into her first apartment. I got to see other Honolulu niece who was visiting, and of course my beautiful Mom and sisters.<br /><br />Going to the southwest in the winter is always welcome, especially when it's such a great venue in Tempe - the Tempe Performing Arts Center! Thank you Woody, our host and the big band for making it such fun. We also visited the fabulous new music museum in Phoenix, "MIM" (Musical Instrument Museum).<br /><br />Our friend from the Dakota, Lowell Pickett gave us the grand tour, and if you're ever in that area, go see it!! I also got to see my friend Mary Kay while there. One of the benefits of travel when you can, is seeing great friends along the way!<br /><br />Back to the Northeast, we had a great concert in Brattleboro, VT at the Vermont Jazz Center. Thank you Eugene and the staff there for making it such a success. And to the band: Steve Cardinas, Todd Strait and George Kay - to a sold out crowd!<br /><br />I then played at the Holyoke Community College with the Amherst Jazz Orchestra. I also worked with the students for a few days. Thank you to all for that great experience!<br /><br />On to Omaha for a visit, with Ardi and to see the great sand hill crane migration in Nebraska. Wow, it was spectacular! Also got to see great friends Mary and Steve while there. I do not recommend however, having food poisoning while on an airplane - ugh. That's a not-so-good thing while on the road! (TMI?) I also did my taxes while there. Hey, at least I like my accountant! (It's a glamorous life! )<br /><br />Got to hang with friends along the Hudson River (Croton - beautiful) with hosts Doc C and Vi and Alan, the Toto bros among others - great day!<br /><br />Back to NYC, where I was asked to play St. Peter's Church Jazz Vesper's service. I loved it! My theme was SPRING! An added plus was that Gene Bertoncini was there and sat in. Also thank you to Ivan Sturm for playing with me.<br /><br />Bill McG and I went on to Philadelphia for a WRTI performance. Bill and I played and talked. It was great fun, and for his alma mater (Temple University's) great radio station anniversary. WRTI has also been champion's of mine ever since my first CD, "I Didn't Know About You." A big thank you to "BP with the GM" (Bob Perkins with the Great Music) You can listen to the program soon, we'll keep you posted.<br /><br />Got to attend a very sweet children's afternoon program at Carnegie/Zankel Hall. So great to see kids excited about real music (everything from show tunes, music of India, China). Thanks to my friend Hillary for inviting us!<br /><br />Next, LA to one of the most beautiful venues I have ever seen, let alone played: SOKA University. (They say Yo Yo Ma agrees with me on that one. :) I look forward to going back there in Jan 2014 as a tribute the great Bennie Golson. Thank you to our host Jim!<br /><br />Went to hear my colleague Chris Caswell playing with Paul Williams at the Carlyse in NYC. It was a real treat hearing all of his wonderful tunes - hits all.<br /><br />Blues Alley in DC was a real pleasure. We got to be there for three nights with great crowds. Loved playing on their new grand piano. Thanks to the staff and audiences there!!<br /><br />Back to my beloved Pioneer Valley and on to Worcester, MA at the lovely Tuckerman Hall. WICN Radio also has been a very long-time supporter of mine. A big thanks to them and the to staff (Brian!) and audience at Tuckerman Hall. It was a very special night. The band: Bruce Barth, Ed Howard and Mark Walker were amazing!<br /><br />A very quick turn around to NYC, where I was a part of the "Lyrics and Lyricist's salute to Jerome Kern" at the 92nd St Y, with a great cast (such talent!) and thank you to our host and presenter Deb Winer for such a success.<br /><br />One more quick turn around to the great city of Chicago to play the Green Mill. What can I say about that place! Proprietor, Dave Jemilo sets the bar very high for presenting and keeping jazz alive there. The audiences were terrific. Thank you to my band: Rod Fleeman (no one plays like Rod! :), Gerald Spaits, and Eric Montzka. You all were great. Saw great friends while there too, and celebrated Bill McG's 10th Anniversary with his wonderful WFMT radio show, "Exploring Music." Congratulations Bill and all!!<br /><br />Back to NYC this week where I hope you'll join us in a brand new venue for jazz: 54 Below, with another of the great radio stations in the country (WBGO) presenting! Thanks to Todd Barkan for inviting us and see you THERE!<br />
Warmly,<br />
Karrin<br />Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-59285127490982133512013-02-12T09:51:00.002-05:002013-02-15T18:09:20.555-05:00Karrin's RoadWords - February 2013Hello! I last wrote in November . . . so, here goes:<br />
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My good friends Karen and Spencer Ralston were very kind to help host us in magical Santa Fe, New Mexico where we played for the Georgia O'Keeffe celebration. I learned quite a bit about O'Keefe. What a fiercely independent artist and woman she was, on so many levels! It was very inspiring to me. If you get to Santa Fe, visit the splendid Georgia O'Keeffe museum! Rod, Todd and I worked with Albuquerque bassist Milo <span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><b></b></span>Jaramillo who did a great job, along with a wonderful audience. Also, many thanks to Lee & Susan Berk.<br />
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Next was in Salt Lake City where the wonderful Gordon Hanks has put on concerts for years. The Capitol Theatre is a beautiful new venue for this series and we had a great concert with a sold out crowd. Thank you Gordon and Connie for all you do for this music.<br />
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Then, the Dakota in Minneapolis, a long-time favorite of ours and a major reason is that I get to see my Mom and sister Elisa and her family (a great Thanksgiving together with Uncle Dave too) and many great friends along the way. Pianist and friend Laura Caviani played some beautiful piano with me, Larry Kohut and Eric Montzka. <br />
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It was a great pleasure to be on Minnesota Public Radio’s "Kerry Miller Show"- she's a most gracious host and I had a wonderful time talking with her while at the piano. And as always, thank you to Lowell Pickett for his dedication to the music and we artists.<br />
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A profound loss for me and my family on December 18, was that my dear Dad, Victor Schoonover, passed away. I was able to be there with him and Ardi, and I will always treasure that time. We miss him, he was an original. My good friends Mary & Steve Thornburg and Dan Cerveny played a holiday program for him. My Dad never wanted me to have to miss a gig. We had a beautiful life celebration for him in January.<br />
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Just before Christmas we played in Kansas City at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra led by the talented Kerry Strayer. What a thrill to play this new, state of the art venue in KC to a sold out crowd!<br />
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Then to the West Coast where we played two nights at Seattle’s Jazz Alley. Rod, Todd, Scott Steed and I had a great time with the crowd and the staff there as always.<br />
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We headed to a family wedding on the coast of New Jersey which was great fun. (Congrats Pricilla and John!) Then to see our great friend Vicki who runs the very sweet Merion Inn in Cape May. If you're ever in that area, it's really worth a visit: great food and lovely music, carrying on the tradition of our dearly-missed George Mesterhazy. I sat in with the wonderful pianist Dean Schneider that eve. And the B&B's in Cape May are wonderful!<br />
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My sister Tracy and I spent some beautiful time on the coast of Oregon before our group performaned in Portland at Jimmy Mak's. It’s great fun in that sweet club with Todd, Dan Balmer, and Jeff Johnson. We then went on to Bend, OR for the Oxford Hotel Jazz Series - a beautiful place and venue!<br />
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We just returned from playing on The Jazz Cruise, which was spectacular. SO MANY great players on board! We got to hear many when we weren't working: Freddie Cole Quartet, Randy Brecker, Steve Wilson, Jimmy Greene, Joey DeFrancesco, Arturo Sandoval, Anat Cohen, Ken Peplowski, the Clayton Bros, Ann Hampton Callaway Quartet, Gary Burton Quartet, Kurt Eilling Quintet, Houston Person Quartet, Bill Cunliffe, Bill Mays, New York Voices, Emmet Cohen Trio, Eddie Palmieri with Brian Lynch, Phil Woods, Niki Haris, Cow Bop, John Fedchock and Roy Haynes! Also Gary Smuylan, Joe La Barbera, Jay Leonhart, David Finck, Sean Jones, Jeff Hamilton . . . so many greats!<br />
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Todd Barkan hosted several great film commentaries and I got to perform a tune with Phil Woods, Shelly Berg, Tom Kennedy and Ernie Adams. What a thril!! Also had a fun Q&A with the singers and host Bobby Jackson.<br />
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Aside from all that great music and camaradarie we also stopped at some beautiful islands: Nassau, St. Thomas where we stopped with Bill Cunnlife and Wanda at a wonderful local hang called “The Beer Garden,” great food and great folks. HIGHLY recommended! The bay in St Bart's is exquisite. I love the Half Moon Cay. It’s very low-key and peaceful. Todd and Naomi para-sailed! And last time I got to ride a horse . . . IN THE SEA!<br />
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The Lazaroff Family does a wonderful job of putting this amazing cruise-event together. It's a very special experience.<br />
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Our next performance is at the Blue Note in NYC. I have a great band with me: Rod, Todd, Ed and Steve Nelson on vibes. We are double billing with the very talented Raul Midon. Another exciting thing is, I'm being interviewed on BBC for a documentary on "Legendary Jazz Singers." Look out for that in the Spring!<br />
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Meanwhile, we in the Northeast are digging out of the snow!<br />
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We look forward to seeing you out there somewhere and thank you for supporting the music!!<br />
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Warmly,<br />
KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-81333813098360594022012-11-14T19:22:00.000-05:002012-11-14T19:26:50.900-05:00Karrin's Roadwords - November 2012<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Greetings!</b><br /><br />What a fall it's been! But first, I'll start where I left off back in August.<br /><br />I got to go to Akumal, Mexico to visit our good friends Susan and Nancy along with my sister Elisa and Bill. It was a lovely, relaxing (and HOT) time. Ceviche is my new favorite dish! We also visited the ruins in Tulum which was very close by. See pictures on my facebook page.<br /><br />Then back to work. The first stop was one of our favorites, Jazz Alley in Seattle. We had great crowds and the band played beautifully: Rod Fleeman, Todd Strait and Jeff Johnson. And as always got to see many great friends, including the KPLU folks and Jim Wilke. On to Portland where we played at Jimmy Mac's, a sweet supper club. Thank you to the staff and crowd there for making us feel at home and to the great Nancy King for sitting in with us.<br /><br />Next stop was beautiful San Francisco at the Rrazz Room. Rod, Ed and I had a great time with the crowds there. It was very intimate and vocal! Also got to spend a few hours at the wonderful pier on the Embarcadero - way too much good food and the weather was amazing!<br /><br />Then to Kansas City, where I first was a part of a very cool live radio music show called "12th Street Jump" with a great cast including David Basse, Joe Cartwright among others. That same night I got to hear Pat Metheny and his trio at the Folly Theater in downtown KC. It was very inspiring!<br /><br />The next night we played the Prairie Village (Kansas) Jazz Festival with Bob Sheppard as our special guest. The great Bob Bowman & Bobby Watson sat in with us too. It was a starry night indeed!<br /><br />Mid-September, in the lovely Pioneer Valley I played two concerts with the Amherst Jazz Orchestra. What a great band! I really enjoyed both: in Easthampton, MA and the beautiful old church in the Berkshires.<br /><br />Back to the West Coast, Hollywood to be exact to another favorite place, Catalina's Bar & Grill. Had a wonderful weekend with Todd, Tom Warrington and Chris Caswell. Chris and I have been working on original songs and we tried many out that weekend. I think his accordion playing was a big hit too :) !!<br /><br />I then went to be a Bill McGlaughlin groupie in Las Cruces New Mexico, where his original orchestra piece was performed. It was a huge hit and the orchestra sounded beautiful!! Congratulations Bill!!<br /><br />In October, I made a surprise (very quick) visit to Minneapolis where my sister Elisa & I gave our Dear Mom a surprise birthday party-- Happy Birthday Mom. You are an original, a pioneer and we love you very much!!<br /><br />Back in NYC, I got to hear a beautiful concert given by the Chamber Music Society in a patron's very cool loft apartment downtown. What a treat and that's one of the things I love about living in NYC, you just never know!<br /><br />Next was Boston. I taught a masterclass for the vocal students at Berklee. I was so impressed by the whole scene there. Imagine, over 4,000 music students there! I thank the 75 or so that showed up (and especially the ones who sang!) and the faculty for making it happen. We then played another favorite place that evening, Scullers, to a great crowd and the band (Bruce Barth, Ed Howard and Mark Walker) sounded groovin' and beautiful. I also want to thank Freddie, Alexandra and Chris there for putting heart and soul into that place!<br /><br />Back in NYC, I sang two of Marian McPartland's songs for a book signing at the Harlem Jazz Museum It was Paul De Barros’ wonderful biography of Marian. Check it out: "Shall We Play That One Together?"<br /><br />Then, hurricane Sandy loomed for the east coast and then hit big time. My heart goes out to the folks still suffering... there are lots of ways to help and I hope we all can do a little something. I made it to my gig in Northampton, MA the day after. It was cathartic to play with the wonderful house trio at the "Loft" to a wonderful crowd of folks.<br /><br />Then, the election! It was greatly anticipated to say the least, and I think we're all glad it's over. One of my favorite things written about it is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/opinion/after-the-returns-november-returns.html?_r=1&" target="_blank">here</a>. Check it out. But I gotta say, after voting I felt a real chill (in a good way) at being able to VOTE!!!<br /><br />Next to Ohio, to Bowling Green University where I did a couple vocal masterclasses with students and also a concert with the student LAB/Big Band. Fun! Conducted by talented David Bixler. I also sat in for more than a set with the faculty at one of their gigs. Great fun with David, Chris, Jeff and Roger. Many thanks to them and all the folks at the University there.<br /><br />This fall I got to hear and see some amazing things, among them (aside from the beautiful fall colors) : Christian McBride talk on Jazz in Film at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.<br /><br />And Thank YOU for checking in! We look forward to seeing you out there somewhere soon!<br />With Love, Karrin</span>Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-53834936186468448962012-08-13T19:31:00.002-04:002012-08-13T19:31:54.246-04:00Karrin's RoadWords - August 2012<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Hey! <br />
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Looks like I haven't written anything since the Spring! Time does fly . . .<br />
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In April, we had a great gig at the fabled Green Mill in Chicago - great crowds and the band was swingin' (Rod Fleeeman, Larry Kohut and Eric Montzka!). As always, thanks to Dave Jemilo. <br />
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On to Vancouver, BC for me to sing with 2 very different groups: the big band, and "Nite Cap." Wonderful arrangements and fun for me to mix it up with those fine young musicians. Thanks to Fiona Black, my hostess who made it all work!<br />
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The next amazing place was New Harmony Indiana. Who knew? So many 'hidden jewels' in this biz! Thank you to the Mumford's for inviting us and making it all happen. What a special place! Even with all the flight difficulties (!), we made it work. Also thanks to Rod and Jeff.<br />
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Wilmington, NC was next with Rod, Ed, Todd and the University of North Carolina big band. We had a grand concert and time there. Dining outdoors, beside the theatre was a highlight! (And what about that Pawn Shop?!)<br />
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Then, Rod Fleeman and I embarked on a longer trip to Beirut, Lebanon! We played a private affair. It was a wedding for a beautiful couple, Fouad & Shirine. Also, hearing THEM play and sing was a highlight for us all!! Congratulations to them!<br />
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In May, I was asked to be a guest with the great pianist Eldar at the Blue Note in New York along with his wonderful trio. We played some cool material together including one of Eldar's originals. We hope to hear THAT on recording someday soon!<br />
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Off to Jacksonville Florida for their great festival. Rod, Ed, Todd and I had a fun set with a lovely crowd. A highlight also was hearing the great Sonny Rollins a little later in the evening. Wow!<br />
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Then was our week at Birdland in June. It’s always a pleasure to work there. Thank you to all those who came out and made it such a great week including also to my swingin' band: Bruce Barth, Todd Strait, Ed Howard and Steve Wilson!<br />
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Next were a couple other great festivals: first, the Rochester International Jazz Festival; then, Toronto Jazz Festival. More flight trouble for Rod! As Jeff Johnson and I were finishing the last tune ("Well You Needn't" how apropos!!) The audience stood up and applauded for Rod as he walked on stage. His flight FINALLY made it, but alas, his luggage did not. Jeff and I had a lovely duet for over an hour, and were we ever glad to see Rod!<br />
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I stopped with Rod and Bill McG in Montreal for a night. What a beautiful city! We drove back through Vermont and saw the Vermont Public Radio folks; and into Massachusetts for our sweet little gig at the Whately Chapel, another hidden jewel!<br />
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Next, the Interplay Jazz Camp where the faculty rocks! And the students are the BEST! I highly recommend this Jazz Camp in June of 2013. Think about it!!<br />
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So, now I'm on an actual vacation until August 16. I’m in Mexico, near CanCun to stay with great friends snorkeling and watching the surf. Lucky me!<br />
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But meanwhile, we can all do rain dances for much of this country. Come on rain!<br />
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Have a great rest of the summer and I look forward to our Northwest and beyond visits in August.<br />
Thanks for your support of the music!!!</div>
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Karrin</div>
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Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-10352231414243411252012-04-04T10:55:00.001-04:002012-04-04T10:58:37.080-04:00Karrin's RoadWords - April 4, 2012<span style="font-family: arial;">Hi there -</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We left off last November just after the European tour. I had a great holiday in Pioneer Valley and while there, a very nice gig at the Green Street Cafe in Northampton, MA. It was packed to the rafters with great spirited folks, and happened to be the last Monday night event they had there before finally closing their doors. It was a sweet and delicious cafe but their legacy lives on very vibrantly in the area. </span><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Des Moines in January! "Somehow it doesn't sound so inviting..." but it was! After barely getting there on time due to flight issues (!) I did a masterclass with the Drake University students at their very cool venue for jazz and students. Heard some lovely singers and we had a great time. The concert was at Drake's beautiful hall and we had a wonderful crowd, lovely staff there and also saw several surprise friends, so it was definitely worth the winter trip to Iowa.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Back to NYC where we had a wonderful two days of masterclasses at a midtown studio with 9 students. What a blast we had! Several students had come all the way from Japan, and others I mostly had known before in the city. It was a beautifully eclectic group and they all sounded lovely. </span><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After that, off to LA for the Grammies. It was, as always, exciting to be a part of that amazing spectacle! My Mom and sister Elisa went along with me so we had a great time. We saw and heard lots of luminaries which I wrote about on facebook.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then off to Hawaii. We had three great gigs while there, first to Kona on the Big Island in a beautiful hotel with Hawaii Public Radio as our hosts. Bill, Rod, my sister Tracy and I took it all in along with the music, swimming, walking and driving along that beautiful coast. Then back to Honolulu for two more gigs, first was at the Honolulu Academy of Arts with Rod and wonderful friends/musicians Bruce Hamada and Jim Howard - always a pleasure. Then, to the Musician's Union for a concert with The Galliard String Quartet, and Bill McGlaughlin conducting. Bill's arrangements fit our music so well, you may already know of a few from our CD, "From Paris to Rio" among others. Then we enjoyed time 'off' while there on the North Shore and hanging out with family including my niece Sydney!!!</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Back home to NYC, and also Pioneer Valley area again (early spring!). Then, to Appleton Wisconsin for a great couple nights at their very cool venue. It's a Performing Arts Center but they've made it more of a night club feel. It was a real pleasure to play there.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Spring is busy so I hope to see you out there somewhere...</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Meanwhile, take care and as always THANK YOU for your support of our music.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Karrin </span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Saw . . . heard . . . read:</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">New Orleans’ vocalist Cindy Scott at the presenter's conference "APAP" in NYC - lovely!</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sheila Jordan at Lincoln Center to get her JAZZ MASTERS award. Congratulations Sheila !!</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Heard Terell Stafford, Bruce Barth and wonderful band at Dizzy's/Lincoln Center - great as always.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Went to the NYC Chapter Grammy Party and saw lots of buddies (See some new pics coming soon on my web site photo gallery.)</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Heard LOTS of music at the Grammy's and wrote about it on facebook. Maybe you read it?</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While in Hawaii, it's so very cool to see hump back whales do their thing along with rainbows, and the absolutely amazing foliage and spirit there.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Heard the Hawaiian singer and slack-key guitarist Makana at a private event, sang for him too! Very fun, along with the wonderful Jimmy Borges and friends.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At Suny Purchase College I heard the amazing chamber music of WuHan and David Finckel (piano and cello) along with host Bill McGlaughlin. Three of the best in the business!</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Saw the film "In Good Time," a lovely documentary on the great Marian McPartland.</span><br style="font-family: arial;"><br style="font-family: arial;">Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-16052028750668612011-12-14T14:30:00.004-05:002011-12-15T12:12:28.230-05:00Karrin's RoadWords - December 14, 2011<span style="font-family:arial;">Greetings Friends!<br /><br />2011 has been quite a year. First, thank you all for coming out and supporting our music! And I'm so honored to have been Grammy® nominated for the 4th time! "Round Midnight" is nominated for "Best Jazz Vocal Album" The big event happens in February. We'll keep you posted!<br /><br />We left off last August. We were invited to play for the Aspen Jazz Festival. Needless to say, since I'm a hiker, I was able to take some time during that trip to hike around that amazing area. And it was a lovely crowd to play for too. Along with me were Rod, drummer Jill Frederickson and bassist Ian Hutchinson. Fun!<br /><br />After that we were off to Seattle’s Jazz Alley. It’s a longtime favorite and this time was no exception. Along with Rod, Jeff Johnson and Mark Ivestor we enjoyed great crowds, friends and the staff at Jazz Alley. It was a wonderful week. It’s always a pleasure to see our friends at KPLU while in this area. We often do a live in-studio session with guests. Thank you Dick Stein and KPLU folks!<br /><br />So on August 23rd, I'm sitting there on the lower east side of Manhattan getting my hair cut. Suddenly the things around us start moving and shaking. I grabbed John's arm. Not a good idea when he's holding scissors! I said, "Did you feel that? That felt almost like . . . an earthquake!" I remember feeling a couple of these while in California and Japan. You never forget 'that feeling' although at first we thought "Construction!" (It IS NYC after all!) As we all know now, that's exactly what it was, an earthquake.<br /><br />Then, a few days later came Hurricane Irene. With a few days off in late summer we had headed to the Jersey Shore to see family. Bad timing! We were all evacuated the day after we got there. It was quite scary. (I had posted a few pictures on facebook of the eerie, deserted area just before the storms.) Luckily for that area, Irene didn't do much damage. In so many other areas in the northeast they are still dealing with it. Our hearts go out to them.<br /><br />In September we went to Yakima, WA, a sweet city in the center of Washington state. The "Seasons Series" that Pat Strosahl and his staff put on is very impressive. From Pat Metheny, to classical music, salsa dance, to us! This time it was a teaching workshop and two concerts with Jeff Johnson, Todd Strait, Mark Seals, Warren Rand and me. Along with the adult students in the workshop (really fun!) we went around to public schools to hear the students, play for and with them. This is so important and very gratifying as well. And what a band! I loved playing with these musicians!<br /><br />Later that month I was asked to perform for my alma mater (University of Nebraska at Omaha) in New York at a very cool event, in a lovely, private home in the Village. I asked Gene Bertoncini to join me and he sounded great as usual.<br /><br />At the end of October, we headed to Europe. The first stop was Istanbul. This was the first time I really got to see any of this amazing city. We stayed there for four days. Bill went along with us. He’s a great tour guide! I also met some new friends who took us around and hosted us at their lovely home as well. (See pics on my facebook page)<br /><br />Then to Athens for sadly, only ONE night (actually, 18 hours). The venue there was very impressive. It’s almost theatre in the round. About 400-500 people were there with a very warm and enthusiastic reception. We look forward to going back soon. We also took a couple hours to see the Parthenon! Wow!<br /><br />The next morning, off to Paris! The Duc des Lombards is a sweet venue in Les Halles area. We had two nights there and loved it. Then we stayed there for three more nights as tourists which was great! We went to Chartres Cathedral, Musee D'Orsay, and just walked and walked in the beautiful city of Paris.<br /><br />Next were two more one-nighters. The first was in Vienna. Thanks to Wolfgang and his family for their hospitality and new friends we met while there. Then onto Rotterdam at a beautiful new venue called Lantaren Venster. We were treated like royalty and we look forward to going back. Thank you Jeanne!<br /><br />When we returned to NYC, we played The Jazz Standard. Along with Bruce Barth, Ed Howard and Matt Wilson, we enjoyed our week there. It’s a cool club with great food and crowds.<br /><br />Summit New Jersey has a sweet venue in the Unitarian Church there. Ed Howard, guitarist Bob Mann and I had a great time. What an audience there!<br /><br />Finally, we headed to Kansas City, at Jardine's. It’s always like going for me. I saw so many friends. Along with Rod, Gerald Spaits and Randy Weinstein we had a great couple nights. Thank you to the staff there as well. I also got to see lots of family in Minneapolis and Omaha while in the area for Thanksgiving.<br /><br />Don’t forget that you still have plenty of time to purchase my albums for Christmas presents. Buy them directly from <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://karrin.com/">karrin.com</a></span>.<br /><br />I wish you all a very Happy Holiday season!! And I look forward to seeing you soon.<br />With Love,<br />Karrin<br /><br />Among some interesting things I heard, saw, read, or did:<br /><br />- In Istanbul: an amazing museum called "RAHMI. M. KOÇ museum.”<br />- Musee D'Orsay and the Chartres Cathedral in Paris.<br />- The Parthenon in Athens.<br />- At the Poisson Rouge in NYC: an opera review with my friend Carole. (This was formerly the Village Gate)<br />- Walked the "High Line" in NYC with friends Karen, Naomi and Bill. Beautiful!<br />- Birdland to hear Nicholas Payton with Honolulu friends Lynne and Randy.<br />- Suny Purchase College: Bill McGlaughlin hosts a series there and this time it was with the Kalechstein, Laredo and Robinson Trio. Wonderful!<br />- Went to the lower east side's "Tenements Museum" with friend Susan from SF. Highly recommended!</span>Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-52648297399930577832011-08-10T12:04:00.008-04:002011-08-10T12:23:46.998-04:00RoadWords from Karrin Allyson - August 2011<span style="font-family: arial;">Hello all! Thank you for checking in. We've had quite the last few months filled with lots of travel and great gigs! Thanks for coming out to see and hear us!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We start this issue of Roadwords way back in February, in Brookefield Wisconsin at the Sharon Lynn Performing Arts Center. These great people really know how to present a concert! That makes such a difference. It’s a beautiful theatre with a great crowd for a special night of music. I feel it was kind of the start of our starting to perform material from "Round Midnight." And it was a very good start. Next was something completely different but fun - a Valentine's concert in Palm Springs, CA at the El Dorado Club. People danced and it was a lot of was! It was also great to see our friends Dave and Dan who hosted us (Rod and Gerald Spaits and myself) to a lovely dinner the night before.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">On to Omaha with the UNO Big Band - my alma mater. (This was the first big band I ever sang with - in college, although the faces have changed of course :) We performed at the beautiful Holland Theatre and that band sounded great! It’s always fun to see family and friends in my home towns (of which I'm lucky enough to have at least 5!).</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then, Edmunds, WA. to perform with their big band and the John Pizzarelli Trio - another fun and varied gig. It was also in honor of Frank DeMiero, the wonderful director and vocal guru in that sweet place. Playing with John and his trio was a kick!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">On to West Palm Beach in Florida with Interplay and the JAMS concert. It was a very nice to treat to go south during the cold winter and I also got to see Uncle Ron, Vicki and family. Remember the Phoenix in KC? :)</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">In April, I was a part of the Blue Note's "Jazz for Japan" benefit concert at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. Got to hear so many great artists that night and they raised substantial funds for earthquake and tsunami relief.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Around this time I also got to hear Bill McGlaughlin's "Trout Week" concerts - five wonderful chamber music concerts broadcast live from WQXR's Greene Space in SoHo. Also really enjoyed Deb Winer's marvelous re-creation of the old New York night club scene at the 92nd St. Y. Featured a lot of our favorite local heroes, from Billy Stritch to Jay Leonhardt. Later on Billy showed up at our Birdland run and was kind enough to invite us to come hear his all-star Cy Coleman review. Was delighted to see Frank Brasile playing bari sax in the band. Frank's another Omaha native.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We recently heard Terrence Blanchard's quintet at Birdland - fabulous!! Also, finally got to watch Spike Lee's 'Requiem for New Orleans' - an excellent an maddening program that's very worth seeing."</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Next stop was Pittsburgh at Theatre Square, another fun concert with Rod, Ed Howard and Matt Wlison for our first 'official' Round Midnight gig. Thank you to all of the great folks at this venue for making it a success. What a wonderful city! Then to Toronto for two really fun performances, first with Ross Porter at Jazz FM, where we did a live studio performance along with his insightful interview. Next we performed along with lots of other luminaries like Al Jareau who knocked us all out!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">On to KC at the historic Folly Theatre. Along with Steve Nelson, Rod, Gerald and Matt Wilson, we had a great evening of music and a wonderful crowd. Thanks again to all there. Seeing so many friends in that wonderful theater really felt like coming home.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then to Scullers in Boston - one of our favorite venues. Thanks to Freddie Taylor and the great staff there. We moved onto Northampton MA at the Iron Horse and saw lots of friends.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The Spoleto Festival has to go down as one of the most beautiful outdoor events I've played. Two nights under the starts in that lovely space. Along with Rod, Ed and Billy Drummond and lovely crowds. I also got to see my one and only voice teacher Jackie and family - special people.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Another favorite place: Birdland!! That was for the last week of April, into May. What a great week of music with along with Lewis Nash, Bob Sheppard, Steve Wilson, Rod and Ed. We had great crowds and the Birdland staff rocks!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then to Yoshi's in Oakland, another favorite place and setting-- the bay area! Bruce Barth, Larry Kohut and Eric Montzka and I had a great couple nights. Also got to see more good friends there including Susan H and Bill!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Blues Alley in DC was the next stop. It had been too long since we had played DC. Along with Ed, Dave Stryker and Mark Walker, we had some fun nights of music in that soulful town.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Off to Vermont for the Interplay Jazz Camp which is always a fun time with the students and faculty there in a beautiful setting. If you are a student of this music (which we all are :) I highly recommend this week for you - try it!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Back to Omaha for the annual Blues and Jazz Fest. Due to all the flooding along the river, the concert was moved to the historic Orpheum Theatre. This is the theatre I heard so many artists, way back when I lived there: Cleo Laine, Mel Torme, Vladimir Horowitz, Emmanuel Ax, Dizzy just to name a few. So, it was special to be there for that reason too. Thanks to all who helped make that a success! Steve Wilson, Mark Walker, Rod and Gerald sounded great as usual.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Denver at "Dazzle" was next. It’s a nice little club that really makes you feel at home with lovely crowds. Then to Centralia, WA. at the historic Fox Theatre. These very special people also know how to present! Thanks to the great staff there in that sweet little town. Jeff Johnson joined us for that concert. In Denver I was also hosted to a wonderful dinner at Max & Linda's while there with our good friends Beth and Norman - what a treat!!</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then to another favorite venue, the Dakota in Minneapolis. If you're in the area, go there - for the spectacular food alone, not to mention the great music. I also got to see many family and friends.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">And for my birthday - Whately, MA for the "Watermelon Wednesdays" series. In a SWEET little chapel sitting in the rolling hills of Western Mass, along with the "Valley Jazz Divas." We had a very special evening that unfolded like a magical spell.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Lots to report there, and we hope to see more of you in the next few months. Were returning to Jazz Alley in Seattle this week, then a little break for me (whew!) before the European tour begins.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I wish you all the best.</span>
<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Karrin</span>
<br />Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-39282275544208154402010-12-03T11:37:00.009-05:002010-12-06T10:59:59.417-05:00RoadWords from Karrin - December 2010<span style="font-family:arial;">I can't believe it's been so long since I've written! Could it really be since June? I guess I was busy!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our Denver Festival gig was the gig that 'almost wasn't' ... as there was big weather - tornadoes and lots of rain. Our bassist and drummer, Larry Kohut and Eric Montzka had to divert into Colorado Springs and rent a car to get there. Then the gig was at a very cool (OUT DOOR!) venue with rain, rain, rain! But the show went on and many hearty listeners were there. I also had food poisoning (!) but again, the show goes on! Many other fun acts were there including Ray Vega - always love him. And thanks to Susan Gatchet at KUVO.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On to the Southwest, where we enjoyed some outdoors before doing a fundraiser for the Santa Fe Center for the Arts. We stayed with our good friends Karen and Spencer who also helped host the event. Rod and Bill and I put on a 'moonlight' themed show.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Left VERY early next morning for Vermont. Ms. Sheila Jordan actually drove ME from the airport to Interplay Workshop in Woodstock (thank you Sheila). As usual, we had a great visit. The camp went very well and it's always good to see some familiar faces (and voices) as well as the new students. I loved Sheila's and Gene Bertoncini's concert together.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Next, the Northwest to Seattle's Jazz Alley for the weekend with Rod, Jeff Johnson and Mark Ivester. This is always one of our favorite places to play.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The next day we moved on to Portland, OR to play the Cathedral Jazz Festival. What a great setting! I got to play with Nancy King, Steve Christofferson, Dan Balmer, Scott Steed and Todd Strait. Mark Murphy came and sat in. What an absolute treat to sing with two of my all time favorites. Also got to see some of the amazing Oregon coast line - unbelievably beautiful!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">At the end of July we went to New Orleans for our “oil spill” fundraiser at One Eyed Jacks. We raised at least $5000.00 and then some for wetlands and fisherman (and families). Cindy Scott did an amazing job at putting it all together-- and Michael Simarjiza helped so much with getting the word out. (And of course, we ate really well while there!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I visited some family in Omaha before going back to NYC. Next, to Marblehead MA. Gene Arnould does a lovely series there and we're happy to be a part of it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On to Minneapolis at the Dakota where Rod, Larry Kohut and I had a lovely two nights there. Laura Caviani sat in and we had wonderful crowds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back to NYC for a quick rehearsal (in my apartment!) for our next project with Rod, Ed Howard, Matt Wilson and guests Bob Sheppard and Randy Weinstein. We recorded at Sear Sound in NYC, our favorite NYC studio. Two days only - whew! But I'm excited about this project - more on that later.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We played at Jazz at Lincoln Center for fashion week. The line up was Bruce Barth, Lewis Nash, Ed Howard and myself. What a great band!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then we headed to Kansas City for the Prairie Village Jazz Festival. I sang a few tunes with the KC Jazz Orchestra which was great fun. Eldar was on the bill and he sounds great as usual.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back home in NYC for a few days, then back to KC area, for Boonville, MO performance in their very cool venue and "Hotel Frederick." Parris Johnson did a great job putting it all together. And the Topeka KS Jazz Workshop was a wonderful afternoon and a huge turn out. Our friend Chuck Berg was there front and center. It was great to see him. Marcy did a great job of organizing this concert too. Dave Overmeyer put on a wonderful after party at his house. A beautiful soul - Dave! Frisbee and fishing down on his pond at sunset with all that wonderful food and freinds - a great way to celebrate Gerald Spait's birthday!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back to NYC it was Dizzy's at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Sheila Jordan, Bruce Barth, Cameron Brown and Billy Drummond. We had a very special week there together and I got to bring my Mom (Chrystopher) there for all of it. We also saw a great exhibit at the Met.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Scullers in Boston was the next stop. We always love to play there but this time, it was in the dark! There was a black out in that part of the city, so the whole hotel and club were dark. It happened just after soundcheck. Ed got stuck in an elevator for a minute and we all walked up 16 flights to our rooms. Bill held a flash light in the bath room for me to put a little make up on We played by candle light for the first sold out set; then, the lights came back on. It was almost too bad about that. When you find a 'vibe' that works :) it was a shame to change it. Also I was quite sick with the flu, but the show went on! And all seemed happy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back for my little Northampton, MA series, this time featuring Rod Fleeman and Gene Bertoncini, two special guitarists. It’s great fun to hear them together and to sing with them. We had a lovely if small group listening.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then a break from the live performance scene to mix the next project in LA. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">We mixed at the famed "Village Recording Studios" - a beautiful, old studio where tons of gold records are hung on the walls. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Thank you to Nick and Seth and Bill for your TLC and expertise!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back to Minneapolis where I was a part of a fundraiser for KBEM with Laura Caviani, Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey. It was a great band and we had a wonderful time playing together. My Mom and sister Elisa attended as well and the food and wine were lovely.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">To the Bay Area: Yoshi's in San Francisco - a great crowd and we love the venue. Singer Kenny Washington sat in with us (LOVE him). My sister Tracy met me and we had a lovely couple days there with friends Susan and Nancy in that beautiful city.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Next stop: Tempe, AZ to sing with the Arizona State University Big Band. Woody Wilson does a fantastic job with this series and the hall is state of the Art. The band played with soul and swing. Also enjoyed trumpet player Scott Wilson who shared the bill.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Europe: This was quite a nice trip, starting out in Salzburg - Mozart's home town, for the festival there. What a beautiful place of course - legendary! We played in a very old (1400s) building in their “brewery.” It could scare one initiially, except this was no regular brewery. It was a concert venue (with great beer!</span>).<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then, Minden, Germany in their very cool little club, which is run by a committee - a jazz committee! They do a great job and we enjoyed being there. They were already getting ready for Christmas there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Next was Hoorn, but first our host, Henk, took us into Amsterdam for a couple hours as that's all the time we had, but fun to see. The venue in Hoorn was completely charming, like playing in your living room with warm, attentive folks there, an upright piano that worked well for us as it was very intimate! Truly a joy being with those lovely people.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In Stockholm next for my first time. Beautiful city - unfortunately very little time there! But I've heard about the Fasching Club for years and I was happy to be there ... even though, un-believably, we experienced another black out! Our hotel went dark, so finding our ways down the dark steps to the lobby was a trick. Our host met us to warn that the show may not 'go on' in this case as there was no electricity there either. So, we went to dinner and waited, and sure enough, they were able to fix it, and we played. (That's the 3rd time in my whole life during a gig.) Once while in San Jose, CA, the whole state of California had a brown out and it happened to be during the festival. I would love to return to Stockholm someday soon.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We ended our little tour in Paris. It had been too long since I'd been there, so it was really great being back. And "Duc des Lombards" is a very cool club - almost like a small but 'tall' (high ceiling) theatre. The crowds were great and gave us many encores which we were happy to do. Rod and Ed played great through out the trip.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Great stuff I saw and heard:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Bill McGlaughlin's NYC Bryant Park series with wonderful classical players like, Orion String Quartet, Imani Winds, Mark O'Connor (I sang Amazing Grace with them on memorial day in the rain.), Tara Helen O'Connor on flute.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Renee Rosnes quintet at Dizzy's with Steve Nelson, Peter Washington, Rich Perry & Bill Stewart.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Phil Woods quintet at Birdland with Bill Mays, Bill Goodwin and Brian Lynch.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Beach, Blanket Babylon in San Francisco-- what a hoot.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- The Sunshine Boys in Kansas City starring our very talented friend Howard Hessman.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- At Paris' Marmotan Museum - lots of beautiful Monet!! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Also while in Paris, dined at Restaurante da Franco (delicious!) and had amazing pastry at Les Deux Magots. Bill and I simply walked around that beautiful city.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Please check our Facebook for comments and photos along the way - and thank you for checking in. We hope to have dates in your area soon and wish you a very happy, healthy Holiday Season.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">With Love, Karrin</span>Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-80337700099203496162010-06-15T12:30:00.003-04:002010-06-15T12:34:57.828-04:00RoadWords from Karrin: June 2010June 7, 2010<br /><br />Hi folks - <br /><br />First of all, it's been quite the few months with many small triumphs and several challenges. More below on all of that, but I want to THANK YOU for helping make what we do worthwhile. I have received so much good feedback and by YOU showing up to our performances and giving us the great energy you have, and for your feedback via facebook, fan page, website, personal interaction after/between shows. This is so much of what makes it worthwhile. Yes - we performers must 'put it out,' but we also have to (or at least I do!) have something to put BACK IN! So, thank you!<br /><br />Here's some of a re-cap:<br /><br />Among other things my mind has been on this catastrophic oil spill. It makes me sick to my stomach and angry and frustrated just like everyone else. Sometimes I don't know what to do about those feelings. Music helps.<br /><br />My heart goes out to the folks who work and live there and to the ocean and wildlife that are suffering - we will all suffer for this.<br /><br />Also I have several close friends who are going through some very hard health issues. That's also a helpless feeling and music helps that too.<br /><br />I could write in these road notes that all is fine & dandy, when in fact, so much isn't in this world. As Mose Allison says in one of his tunes I've been doing lately: "This world is just one big trouble - spot, cause some have plenty and some have not...”<br />More & more I feel in choosing certain material to sing and play, it's cathartic and helps just a little to have meaning in all of the chaos around us.<br /><br />So, onto the music . . .<br /><br />I think I left off in April. We played in KC at the sweet little club, Jardine's, where we saw a ton of friends and had really good gigs. Then to Lincolnshire, Il. at a great high school where they invite many national acts to their auditorium. I played on a Rhodes piano which has re-kindled my love for that instrument. Couple of days back at home and then to the San Diego area - Oceanside CA. where I sang with the jazz choir there as well as doing our own thing with my band. Heard a wonderful educator speak about vocal health and tracking it through technology. Her name is Diana Spradling and her book is “Jazz Singing, Developing Artistrt and Authenticity.” Check it out! Also while there I got to hang with a great friend from Jr. High! So great to catch up with long-time friends.<br /><br />Back in NYC, I played with the great guitarist Gene Bertoncini at the Women in Jazz concert at St Peter's Church. It was just the two of us and we had fun trying some new things out for some new folks.<br /><br />Onto Asheville, NC to their wonderful series, where I did a masterclass for singer Sharon LaMotte's students - fun!<br /><br />Our poor drummer Eric had 'all night flight issues' and barely made it - one of the perks of this vagabond life - not! But we had a great concert in that beautiful space. President and Michelle Obama had JUST been there, but alas - he had to leave before I got to lay eyes on them!<br /><br />Back home for a few days, then to Catalina's in Hollywood. It was really good to be back there and see our friends and play with Rod Fleeman, Tom Warrington and Bob Sheppard. While there I took a hike in Grifith Park - that was lovely too.<br /><br />Back on the east coast I went to hear Nancy King and Fred Hersch at the Jazz Standard. They were inspiring as always.(I get to sing with Nancy again in Portland in July.) Then to an 'all stars' concert just outside Boston at Showcase Live’ along with Jay Giles, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gerry Beaudoin, Harry Allen and the rhythm section. It was a varied and cool concert.<br /><br />Our little series in Northampton was a blast! The Unitarian Church was an excellent venue for Rebecca Parris, Brad Hatfield and I to play. We had alot of fun with tunes, banter and making music together. Also thanks to Zack for sitting in! And also thanks to Tom Reney for helping get the good word out through radio! Great crowd and we look forward to the next time (maybe we won't choose graduation day next time however - parking is bad enough!)<br /><br />Then back to NYC at Bryant Park to open up Bill McGlaughlin's new "After Work Classical and Jazz" concerts. Lewis Nash, Ed Howard, Rod and I had a great time, although, another airline snafoo put Rod in just 3 minutes before 'down beat' ... the show must go on and the weather was beautiful, thankfully. Lots of folks attending these, just as if it were a theater - but it's midtown Manhattan - outside! So, you can imagine the 'competition' with traffic, sirens, etc. Quite invigorating and host Bill McG never fails to engage the audience.<br /><br />Birdland the following week was great - wonderful crowds all week long, and fun for me to add the Rhodes again to our show. Rod, Lewis, Ed and I didn't want the week to end really. And Birdland is truly one of the great clubs in the world.<br /><br />Had a great week OFF after that - whew, that was alot in a row. Unfortunately for me, my iphone was stolen in a rather ugly incident. I'm only telling you this to be aware yourself and alert your loved ones, as it's no fun and costly. A 'kid' riding a bike on the side walk close to my home in NYC ripped it right from my hand while I was talking on It - along with a clump of hair. NO FUN! I have to say the NYC police were great. I didn't get it back of course, but they were & have been on it, and of course it could have been worse.<br /><br />So, next on to Denver Festival, teaching gigs and camps in June and August, Portland OR, and more East Coast gigs in August and recording this summer as well.<br /><br />Please log on often to the touring page as things are added. Also facebook blogs. We don't want to miss you!<br /><br />Here are some things I've either heard, read, saw: The beautiful Picasso exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, attended a concert and tribute to Leonard Bernstein at the famous 'Lotus Club' in NYC, I got to hear the Orion String Quartet, Mark O'Connor Quartet (and I sang "Amazing Grace" with them!) and the Imani WInds all at Bryant Park-- beautiful!<br /><br />Heard Johnny Mandel conduct the Diva Jazz Orchestra at Dizzy's and Ann HC sounded lovely as always.<br /><br />Also heard two friends play (separately) at the Metropolitan Room in NYC: the lovely Sharon LaMotte and the wonderful Wesla Whitfield.<br /><br />Misc news: My middle neice, Julia graduated from high school! My oldest niece, Sonya is traversing Europe and attending school in Spain. My neice, Sydney is in Honolulu attending school and working with kids after school; nephew Paul is tearing it up in track and band! (yeh!) oh - also 'classical greek' ! They are growing up.<br /><br />Hope you have a good summer, can do good and meaningful things along the way, and that we get to see you out there sometime soon. Thank you for checking in.<br />Love, KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-55515684168046225842010-04-05T12:53:00.001-04:002010-04-06T12:53:30.406-04:00Spring Road Words from Karrin AllysonKarrin’s Road Words - April 2010<br /><br />Dear Friends . . .<br />Hello and Happy Spring!<br /><br />What a winter it was. . . I know we are all ready for this beautiful change.<br /><br />I got lucky and was able to escape it for a little while by going to Honolulu and playing at the Academy of Arts. The music was lovely with Jim Howard on flute and piano too. The rest of the group included Bruce Hamada on bass, Rod Fleeman and myself. We love playing with those wonderful players.<br /><br />While there I got to do some wonderful hikes and saw lots of whales and sea turtles. Kayaking - what can one say about Hawaii? And seeing my sister and niece is the big draw.<br /><br />Back in New York (NYC) we heard some great music: Joe Locke with Kenny Washington, and his great band, complete with a full moon rising as the band started that night.<br /><br />In February, I sang with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. I am enjoying singing with big bands more and more. I also, did a Masterclass with students there and they were inspiring.<br /><br />More weather related stuff - we played in Lewisburg, PA at Bucknell University in their wonderful series. It was just before one of the biggest blizzards of the winter. We all left immediately after the gig and barely got out in time. Too bad because it's such a sweet little town! <br /><br />Then, on Valentines Day in NYC, Bob Albanese invited me to sing with his band at Bemelman's Bar at the Carlylse Hotel. It was a lively evening! People seemed ready to party and the band happily accommodated. <br />I had never been inside the Dakota in NYC, so I jumped at the chance to attend a classical “house concert.” Beautiful!<br /><br />Next was in Toronto for their series at the Old Mill for a great crowd in a wonderful venue. Then I headed for Los Angeles (LA) to attend a family wedding. While there I also met with Concord about our next project. We hope to record in the summer and release that album in the Spring of 2011. We'll be trying new material out on all the upcoming concerts.<br /><br />LA had a lot of rain and it was wonderful to see the mountains and hills so green for a change! I was invited to participate in a fund raiser for Doctor's without Borders: "Ladies Got Chops" at a sweet Brooklyn arts center ("Clovers"). It was good to be a part of a great cause with lovely players. <br /><br />While I was home I went to Birdland to hear one of our favorite drummers, Lewis Nash (who will be with me at Birdland in May). He's a great band leader and had Tom Harrell, Renee Rosnes, Peter Washington, and Javon Jackson that night. Wonderful music!<br /><br />Lots of gig dates are coming in, almost daily. So keep an eye out and check my web site schedule frequently. We hope to be in YOUR area soon. <br /><br />Coming up, we're looking forward to Kansas City; Lincolnshire, Ill; Oceanside, CA; and the Women in Jazz Festival in NYC at St Peter's (with Gene Bertoncini!) and on to Asheville, NC.<br /><br />Then we go back to LA where we will be at Catalina's in May. Next is more NYC dates including Birdland and our Bryant Park concert as a guest of Bill McGlaughlin. Soon following is my own new little series in the Pioneer Valley, North Hampton, MA. <br /><br />Remember to check the Tour Dates on the web site. We are adding lots of dates!<br /><br />Happy Spring!<br />KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-55305539112640113452009-12-02T15:02:00.002-05:002009-12-02T15:11:24.952-05:00Karrin Allyson - July through December 2009Hi and thanks for checking in...<br />The end of the summer seemed like it would be less busy, but it wasn't - mostly with good things.<br />July 27 - Had a birthday party in NYC :) and many good friends showed up. It was a blast!<br />South Pacific - saw and heard our friend Loretta Ables who plays "Bloody Mary" - a great production! (I played 'Nellie' in that musical in high school! so, it brought back a lot of memories.)<br />August: Sea Isle New Jersey with family and Cape May. Heard & sat in with George Mesterhazy at one of our favorite places: the Merion Inn. Go there when you're in the area! Took the ferry to Lewes, Delaware - lovely. Ate some delicious crab.<br />Haagsund, Norway festival with Rod, Larry Kohut and Tim Horner. It was a nice festival and reminded us the North Sea festival - there was so much going on. Beautiful place!<br />NYC - Shakespeare on the Park with our friends . . . a beautiful evening and what a way to spend it.<br />NYC Bemelman's Bar- heard the wonderful pianist Bob Albanese with wonderful trio (see pics soon on photo gallery)<br />September: With Marian McPartland at Dizzy's for a very special performance. It's a wonderful experience to play with Ms. Marion - always.<br />Western Illinois University with Rod, Larry Kohut & drummer Eric Montzka - great trio!<br />Kansas City Symphony Ball under the direction of Michael Stern with Rod, Eric, Gerald Spaits and pianist Roger Wilder. What a treat it was to play with the symphony.<br />Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA with Rod and the wonderful piano trio.<br />Williams College in Williamstown, MA - a beautiful town and route to get there at this time of year especially... Andy Jaffee runs a very good jazz program there.<br />The Iron Horse in North Hampton, MA - this is a great sounding room with a wonderful crowd.<br />We played at Dizzy's in Lincoln Center for a week as part of the Women in Jazz Festival. The band was Rod, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington (and Cameron Brown too! :). It’s always an honor and treat to play at Dizzy's.<br />October: Lots of family visiting. In Omaha, NE at the Holland Center was a fundraiser for piano department at UNO (my alma mater). I also sang with the UNO Big Band. Then a special event in Clinton MO with Rod and Gerald at a beautiful little church and wonderful crowd. Also saw lots of friends in KC.<br />Sheila Jordan and I did a really cool concert in East Hampton, MA. It was a benefit for music and arts in the schools. We had Bruce Barth on piano, who valiantly just made it in due to flight troubles. He arrived at 6:59 PM, the concert started at 7:00 PM ! Also on the gig were baritone sax player Gary Sumulyan and bassist Dave Wertman. It was a really special night singing with Ms Sheila and these wonderful players for such a worthy cause.<br />One more thing - if you hear a Chase Bank commercial on TV that you think might sound like me - it probably is! <br />November: Winnipeg for the Izzy Asper Series - our 3rd time back there. Wonderful students at their jazz school there and always a great crowd.<br />JAZZ CRUISE: This line up was amazing and what an experience to be surrounded by all these great players in such a beautiful environment. I even got to ride a horse in the SEA....on a sweet little island "Half Moon Cay" in the Bahamas . . . so did Ann Hampton Callaway and of course we had a great time sitting in with each other.<br />Have a good holiday season, thank you for coming out to hear us.<br />The performances at Temple University were a gas!<br />I especially liked working w the students in the masterclass and doing a couple private lessons. I'm inspired by the interaction between Terell Stafford and the students and the positive energy is palpable! As well as the level of playing & singing. Bruce Barth showed up for the concert (he's the jazz piano guru there) and sax teacher Dick Oates, along w Dean Stroker and the president of Temple herself.<br />it was truly an honor to receive the jazz masters award (first woman!) and to get to play with these wonderful young musicians. <br />I ended November with a Master’s Class at the Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Then kicked off December with a concert there with the Temple University Big Band, Terell Stafford conducting. <br />The performances at temple were a gas!<br />I especially liked working with the students in the Master’s Class and doing a couple private lessons. I'm inspired by the interaction between Terell Stafford and the students and the positive energy is palpable! As well as the level of playing & singing. Bruce Barth showed up for the concert (he's the jazz piano guru there) along with sax teacher Dick Oates, and with Dean Stroker and the President of Temple Dr. Ann Weaver Hart.<br />I was highly honored at this concert when I received their “Jazz Masters Hall of Fame Award.” Past recipients include Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Joe Wilder and Jon Faddis. I was the first women to receive this distinction!!<br />LOVE and PEACE, <br />KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-56977949623902568742009-08-18T07:25:00.004-04:002009-08-18T07:42:26.164-04:00Dizzy’s, Birdland, SF to Seattle, ASCAP Awards, KC to Chicago, Jazz Camps, ‘Best Of’ CD Release . . .Karrin's Road Words - August 2009<br /><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">After our European tour it was good to get some time off in NYC and Massachusetts while back. It didn’t last long! I was a part of Marian McPartland's 30th anniversary of Piano Jazz at Dizzy's. Lots of wonderful jazz luminaries were there to perform and what a treat to hear them all. Marian and I played two of her originals: Twilight World and There'll Be Other Times. It’s always an honor and inspiration to just be around her.<br /><br />Then a 'quick trip' to the Czech Republic and Hungary for just 3 performances, all great venues and wonderful crowds. I had never been there before and hope to go back.<br /><br />A week in Birdland - yeh! When you travel so much, it's a luxury to perform in your 'own town' - NYC! Especially when it's at Birdland for a week and then again at Dizzy's - two of the most historic and friendly clubs in the world. Performing with the Temple University Big Band at Dizzy's was a blast! Singing with big bands is a whole other world - and usually a treat, especially with Terell Stafford leading the way and great 'kids' (!) playing so well in the band. Great to meet some of the alumni of Temple too that evening.<br /><br />Next, we went back to the west coast and a few of our favorite jazz venues. First, Yakima Washington at the Season's. Pat Strosahl and his family have created a wonderful series there and jazz writer/critic Doug Ramsey emcees the events which is a big plus. Wonderful folks there.<br /><br />Then to San Francisco for the SF Jazz Festival. Our venue was the amazing Legion of Honor Theatre - what grounds! A view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge and GG Park - what a magical city. My sister, Tracy joined me there and we also were very happy tourists for a few days, staying with wonderful friends in "THE CITY".<br /><br />Jazz Alley in Seattle followed - always a great week there with lots of friends stopping in. My Mom often joins me while there, which is always a great and special time, also with Uncle Dave! Rod and I played a live session at KPLU-FM, one of the best stations around, of course! Off to Southern California to beautiful La Jolla at the Antheneum. It’s a great theatre, and loved playing there with Joe LaBarbera, Tom Warrington and Larry Koonse.<br /><br />Then off to LA for Catalina's. We saw many great friends there too. We always try to get some hiking in too while there. LA is not just city (although it often seems that way). Beautiful to get 'out' of the city and to the sea whenever possible.<br /><br />In June, we found ourselves back in Switzerland, this time in St. Moritz for a private concert for the tennis star, Boris Becker's wedding. After arriving in Zurich, we drove about 3 hours to St Moritz and stayed at the most beautiful resort there. Really enjoyed being a part of this very special occasion.<br /><br />Back to the US and to be a part of the ASCAP award ceremony in NYC at the Allen Room. I was asked to perform a Johnny Mandel song in his honor. Chris Caswell and I performed his tune "Little Did I Dream" (lyrics by Dave Frishberg). It was daunting to perform in front of so many of your idols (Johnny himself, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Randy Weston to name a few)! But also to be able to HEAR THEM was a thrill, among many others that great evening. Look soon for some photos in our photo gallery.<br /><br />Off to favorite jazz spots in the midwest. First, to Kansas City and Jardine's Jazz Club. This little club is becoming a great room for national artists due to the hard work of owner Beena and the great staff there. Sold out crowds and amazing energy, great friends there.<br /><br />Omaha was next where we did a fund raiser for Hospice House and Ted E. Bear Hollow - two great causes. My Grandmother was in Hospice Care and there aren't words to describe what a comfort that was for her and her family. We performed at the Joslyn Art Museum in the theatre. As a child growing up in Omaha I went there often to hear performances such as Vladimir Horowitz! And have done performances there that we remember fondly as well. We raised about $35,000 that evening.<br /><br />While in Omaha I played in my father's church (Augustana) for his 30-year anniversary of being an ordained Lutheran pastor. I grew up playing in that church. My sister Elisa was there also with two of her daughters, we had a great and special time. Which CONTINUED in Minneapolis (another home town for me!) at the Dakota. Bassist Larry Kohut joined Rod and me for 2 nights of fun music there to great crowds. Then onto Chicago at the Green Mill. It’s always an energetic crowd there and wonderful to play in that historic club. Drummer Eric Montzka joined Larry, Rod and me and sounded great.<br /><br />Heading back East, I was honored to be part of the Interplay Jazz Camp in beautiful Woodstock Vermont - a great faculty. SHEILA JORDAN (we became FAST FRIENDS) and I performed and taught together. What an inspiration she is! Met so many great folks there. Of course we were very proud of the students at the concert. They worked really hard (and so did we! :)) And it rained like crazy almost the whole time!<br /><br />Our new CD "By Request: The Best of Karrin Allyson" was released during this time (yes, the site is updated now!) Check it out! It represents several phases or 'snap shots' of my/our music making for the last 10-15 years with a varied repertoire and players along the way.<br /><br />Then, some time OFF - in Massachusetts, loved it.<br /><br />Back to California in Los Gatos for a fun outdoor concert - what a beautiful place that is! Then to Denver at the Soiled Dove, an intimate music club with a great staff and lovely crowd.<br /><br />I was able to go on some great hikes with my friend Beth and visited beautiful Boulder. The mountains blew me away! Even more so when I got to Bailey Colorado for the Rocky Mountain Vocal Jazz Camp - what a great camp this is. The students were great and I again met and played with some great players/faculty (and had even more great hikes while there)<br /><br />Until next time, I thank you for checking in - and wish you happiness, peace and great music.<br /><br />Karrin<br /><br />Heard Out and About . . .<br />I went to violinist great, Mark O'Connor's fiddle camp concert at the Ethical Cultural Society in NYC with our good friend Blanche Williams (Widow of the late Claude “Fiddler” Williams) - heard some wonderful music.<br /><br />Heard Ingrid Jensen's band in the Czech Repubic at the same festival we played. Mostly original, great tunes!<br /><br />Heard vibraphonist Joe Locke's band at Dizzy's ... with great singer Kenny Washington--lovely!</font>Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-38722732416969025392009-04-07T09:28:00.000-04:002009-04-07T09:32:44.514-04:00Italy, Switzerland, New Recording News, and More . . .<span style="font-family: arial;">Karrin’s Road Words - March 2009</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Hello and thank you for checking in. At the start of the year I was summoned for jury duty here in NYC, something I could no longer put off. It lasted for two weeks! It was really very interesting and I enjoyed my fellow jurors.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then, the inauguration of President Obama!! A friend kindly invited me to join her to see this at the Apollo Theatre here in Harlem NY. That was exciting to say the least. And what about Aretha's hat? I also loved Yo Yo Ma's quartet performance. They all deserve medals for playing in that cold! I was glued to the television for the rest of that momentous day.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then to Colorado for two performances: Telluride and Montrose. The folks were great to us and what a beautiful area. (No invitation from Calvin Klein to visit his ranch though - ha!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I had some welcome time with my family in between that and going to the Grammy's in LA. The Grammy’s was as usual, an exciting event. We stayed at the Biltmore and hung out with good friends. Big congratulations to Cassandra Wilson! I have always admired her work as well as the other lovely nominees. Also big congratulations to Charles Bruffy - Kansas City Chorale conductor and his groups!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I got to attend a classical concert in Bloomington Indiana with Bill McG, who conducted a wonderful program, including one of his compositions. What a wonderful Valentine's gift.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We then left for Europe, a one week tour in Italy and the rest in Bern, Switzerland.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Among the fond memories there: Driving along the west coast down to Sicily, taking the ferry over - such a beautiful country.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">One night, we had a heated, late night foozball tournament with the owner in a hotel where we were the only guests. We also had to check ourselves out in the morning because there was no one to be found! (We think we kept him up too late) We, of course, ate wonderful meals there, even on the road, driving. One can eat like royalty in Italy! Their 'truck stops' are stocked with wine, hams, cheese, olives to purchase along the way as well as wonderful freshly prepared food. What a concept!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The audiences were lovely to us. We took a train through the Alps from Italy to Switzerland. Unfortunately it was dark! We passed the time by playing Mad Libs. Needless to say by the end of that week the band (not me :) got pretty 'creative' with those.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Marian's club in Bern was welcome, especially to stay in one place for a week. It’s a sweet and intimate club on a 'hill' surrounded by the Alps. The audiences were wonderful to us there, as were the staff.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Our latest CD due out in early summer is a "Best of Karrin Allyson" project. We've been busy choosing material and sequencing it and getting the artwork ready. Since we have 11 cd's out there, there was a lot to choose from. But it’s fun to go back and listen. Of course I have very fond memories of making those CD's with all of those wonderful players. It's a project I've been wanting to do for awhile. We will probably go into the studio again later in the summer for the next 'new thing.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Also heard some great music out & about: Joe Locke's band at Dizzy's with singer Kenny Washington - what a wonderful night of music. And another great night of music with Ann Hampton Callaway at Dizzy's with her wonderful band. I was invited to sit in - she and have a great time singing together. The Camerata Orchestra in Bloomington with fabulous pianist Chris O'Reilly and Bill McGlaughlin conducting. The pianist, Mike Longo at Small's. Also am reading a book called "On This Day" by Nathaniel Bellows, a new acquaintance I met in the amazing Ms Phoebe's Pilates class.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Meanwhile, Spring has finally knocked on the door here in NYC. I am more than ready to let her in! I look forward to seeing you all soon out there somewhere. I hope these times are finding you mostly filled with hope and as much joy as possible.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for checking in.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Karrin</span>Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-60612693527021786672008-12-19T08:45:00.003-05:002008-12-19T08:49:01.579-05:00Brazil, Europe, NYC and a few other wonderful places . . .<span style="font-family:monospace;">Hello -<br /><br />Last I wrote it was just before our trip to Brazil in September. We started out at the new Mistura Fina in Rio. One of our hosts and friends (Christian) met us and took us to a wonderful Chorascaria restaurant where we ate way too much delicious food! Mistura Fina is now situated right on Ipanema, a very beautifully distracting view! I was honored that the lovely Joyce and her husband came by for a set. I'm a huge fan of their music.<br /><br />We went onto Ouro Preto, far up in the hills north of Rio. Traveling on a very deluxe bus, we got to see a lot of the country which is so welcoming after being on so many airplanes. This was the maiden voyage of this new festival in Ouro Preto in what was once a grand old casino. They had a great and enthusiastic crowd. We got to hear several other Brazilian acts which is always a pleasure.<br /><br />Onto Sao Paulo to Bourbon Street and another wonderful crowd. Our hosts at Bourbon Street always takes very good care of us. Freddie Cole and his band were in the audience too, and he sat in with us - a true legend!<br /><br />Back to the US with a quick stop in Kansas City at the Blue Room. It was great to see a packed house with so many friends. The Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, and her husband Gary were in the audience. It’s always a great honor to see her at my gigs.<br /><br />Next was another quick trip overseas to a festival in Holland - The Hoorn Jazz Festival at a beautiful (and COLD) place! Our hosts took very good care of us and it's so gratifying to see jazz flourishing in places all over the world. This festival had about 6 or more acts and the crowd could not get enough.<br /><br />I had a little time off between travels abroad and heard some good music while at home in NYC (see below)<br /><br />Back to Europe again. First was the Blue Note in Milan; then to Ferrara, a sweet performance space that was once an old fort. What an amazing crowd we had there.<br /><br />Next was in Bratislava, Slovakia for the Jazz Days Festival, another example of jazz thriving. It is a huge festival, packed with very hungry jazz fans and they were wonderful to us. Then, to Vienna to one of the oldest jazz clubs there. It was my second time there and it's always a pleasure.<br /><br />We took the overnight train which was an interesting and mostly good experience. We regretted not being able to SEE the Alps since it was at night. Then to Zurich - what a beautiful city that is! The small and upscale club there is a huge success. It’s like playing in someone's lovely living room packed with listeners. Last stop was Istanbul at JC's Jazz Club. Istanbul is an extremely bustling city and also full of jazz fans. The club is situated right on the Bosphorous, looking across to the Asian side of Istanbul. We saw many friends we had met on the trip before. It was nice to be back.<br /><br />Back in NYC for election day. We had some friends over to celebrate. Then to Schenectady, NY at a very cool venue, "A Place for Jazz." with a great crowd. I also did a masterclass earlier that day with some singers which was great fun.<br /><br />Then we headed West to Salt Lake City where we joined one of our favorite jazz promoters, Hank O'Neal. The series he has is very ambitious and it seems all of the concerts are sold out. He really knows how to present concerts and host the musicians. We love him for it!<br /><br />Back to NYC at the Iridium for a week. I had never played this club before and really enjoyed it. They made us feel very much at home. Then we played another very cool series at St. Cecelia's (the Saint of music in Grand Rapids, MI. It had been almost 7 years since I had been there. It’s all run by women and they were fabulous to us.<br /><br />For Thanksgiving, we went to Poland! (where else?) to a great festival in Kalisz. Our friends/hosts, Pawel and Yavuz, were great to us as was the crowd. And it was another example of hundreds of hungry jazz fans. Poland rocks!<br /><br />One last performance of 2008 - hard to believe! Scullers was packed and we were thrilled to announce the Grammy Nomination for "Imagina". I plan on attending the Grammy's in LA in February. That’s always an amazing experience.<br /><br />I heard some great music along the way over these past few months: I attended the “Jazz for Obama” at the 92nd St Y with my good friend Ann Hampton Callaway. Among them we heard Kurt Elling, Jeff Watts, Brad Meldau, Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Hank Jones.<br /><br />Some of my listening along the way included: My friend and colleague, Chris Caswell, had a premier of a violin concerto at Carnegie Hall; Virginia Mahew's group at Dizzy's/Lincoln Center; the other acts in Ouro Preto; the Carlisle to hear my friend Ed Howard with Steve Tyrell; Dizzy's to hear Bucky Pizzarelli with Ken Peplowski; some wonderful chamber/classical music at a house concert on the upper west side.<br /><br />And I’m reading a good book - Wendell Berry's "Jayber Crow.”<br /><br />Thanks for checking in! Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you 'out there' in the crowd very soon.<br />Karrin</span>Karrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-47434931935533652442008-09-28T14:21:00.001-04:002008-09-28T14:27:52.381-04:00Minnesota to Missouri, Europe to California & Seattle & MoreHello -<br />Welcome back to our site. I haven't written since April, so here goes!<br />The Dakota Bar and Grill in Minneapolis is always like going home to me. My Mom and sister live there, as well as many friends and I spent several good, formative years in the Twin Cities. Steve Nelson, Rod and Larry Kohut joined us along with drummer Phil Hey.<br /><br />Next was Springfield, Missouri at the University there, a beautiful renovated theater, old friends and great musicians - Kim Park and Gerald Spaits joined us. Travel was challenging as I recall - barely making that gig due to flight troubles, but the audience was great.<br /><br />Then to Jazz at the Bistro in St Louis, another great jazz supper club with lots of history - a big pleasure to be there.<br /><br />In May we played the Hague Jazz Festival-- a huge and musically inclusive event! We had a great set with Rod, Todd and bassist John Goldsby. More flight trouble with lost luggage! So, we bought clothes, borrowed cymbals and microphones, copied music, then after a set to a tremendously enthusiastic crowd, we got back to the hotel. Lo and behold, there was our luggage! Such is life on the road :)<br /><br />Off to the West Coast in June. First stop was in LA/Hollywood at Catalina's with Larry Koonse, Tom Warrington and Todd. Catalina's is a favorite - another great jazz supper club with an amazing history.<br /><br />Then to another favorite: Jazz Alley in Seattle, which feels more like a concert setting than a club while still keeping it's very intimate and classy setting. We love it there!<br /><br />Next was back to California in beautiful Santa Cruz to Kuumbwa Jazz Center. Amazing crowd! We were definitely seeing signs of the fires they were having there then. We wanted to stay but needed to move onto the new Yoshi's in San Francisco - what a beautiful club, and great crowd. We were able to stay in San Francisco for a few days for R&R before our performance at the Filoli Festival. It is an amazing outdoor concert in the beautiful Bay Area I was joined by Rod, Todd and bassist John Witala. If you're in that area and have a chance to attend one of these, it's a great afternoon.<br /><br />In June we were off to Europe. The first stop was for the Estoril Jazz Fest in Portugal, a lovely outdoor setting ... with Rod, Ed Howard and drummer Anthony Penciotti. Next was Madrid to a funky little club there for a few nights. We met some lovely people there. Off to Poland in Gadansk for the “Ladies Jazz Festival.” We shared the stage with Toshiko Akioshi and several other women in jazz.<br /><br />Our final stop in Europe was in San Javier, Spain for their festival - another cool, outdoor event with a wonderful crowd.<br /><br />I had some much needed time off at home in NYC, then to Litchfield, Connecticut for their Jazz Camp. I really enjoyed teaching there. I was so proud of 'my' students at their concert! And also had a few fun musical moments of our own with other faculty members: Virginia Mahew, Dave Stryker, Steve Johns, Andy Jafee, Don Braden.<br /><br />Returning to "Happy Valley" in North Hampton, MA we played at the Iron Horse in August - a very cool, funky music room and what a crowd we had there! Rod, Todd, Ed and I had a ball. Then onto Marblehead, MA to help end their summer jazz series which takes place in an old church with a packed, enthusiastic house. What a sweet town that is!<br /><br />While I was in the area, I got to attend a concert at the Marlborough Music Festival: a wonderful classical music event with many luminaries. The music was very inspiring! Next tour is Brazil, which needless to say, we are looking forward to.<br />Please check in often and thank you for your support of the music!<br /><br />KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-66796810384525424932008-04-29T15:42:00.004-04:002008-04-29T15:50:36.988-04:00Tokyo to Tel Aviv, NYC, Boston, Chicago and more . . .Hi Friends!<br /><br />Last time I wrote we were on our way to Tokyo. The Japanese are wonderful hosts. It was a pleasure to play the Blue Note there. I met with many press people and journalists who were very passionate and knowledgeable about this music. We look forward to going back. Kind fun to have a cocktail at the Blue Note named after me - the "Buttercup!")<br /><br />Back to the US and a performance with the Charlotte County Jazz Society in Punta Gorda Florida. It was a great theater and crowd.<br /><br />Next, we were off to Tel Aviv!! Along with me were Nancy King, her wonderful pianist Steve Christofferson. Her great bassist Ed Bennett, and my great drummer Todd Strait. This was a thrill to be there at the Tel Aviv Opera House. We rehearsed there the night before our gig and the opera "Turandot" was being performed. We got to see some of it and the singers in their full dress back stage. What a sight and sound!<br /><br />The Tel Aviv crowd was great. They are very knowledgeable and love this music. We look forward to going back.<br /><br />Our first gig back in the US was in New York City at Dizzy's/Lincoln Center to help celebrate the amazing Marian McPartland's 90th birthday. She is an original and knocked us all out that night. I sang two of her original tunes with her: "Twilight World" and "There'll be Other Times." Lots of luminaries with her that night. Among them: Wynton Marsalis, Regina Carter, Bill Charlap, Kenny Barron, Norah Jones, Jeremy Pelt. Even Kareem Abdul Jabar was in the house! It was a really special evening of music and tribute to Ms. Marian.<br /><br />Then to Kansas City for me, performing with Bobby Watson and the 18th & Vine Big Band along with Mary Stallings - a lovely singer. It's always a thrill for me to sing with a killin' big band - and especially this one at the GEM Thearer in KC! Bobby sounded great as usual.<br /><br />Back to New York at Birdland for the "official" release of our new CD, "Imagina, Songs of Brasil". Birdland is not only one of my favorite places to perform in NYC, but I love just going there to hear great music when I can. It’s a very great group of people. The group was Steve Nelson, Rod Fleeman, Todd Strait and Ed Howard and we had a ball. Several friends sat in too during the week: Bruce Barth, Eldar, Ann Hampton Callaway, Randy Weinstein, George Mesterhazy, Sacha Boutros. Fun!<br /><br />Another fun big band date was in Indiana with the Ball State Big Band. These students sound fabulous! And led by their director Mark Buselli, who's also an excellent trumpet player, we had good concerts (despite the airline craziness, which was...challenging!)<br /><br />From there it was on to the historic Green Mill Jazz Club in Chicago. It always feels like "coming home" to me. With the great crowds and staff there, led by the incomparable Dave Jemilo, it can't go wrong!<br /><br />Another favorite club followed: Scullers in Boston; then, a new one for us in Philadelphia: Chris' Jazz Cafe. When we rolled into Philly, we happened to get caught in the fever of the Barrack Obama rally that day, just before their primary. It was exciting!<br /><br />The political 'scene' right now is a lot of things to me and many I know: hopeful, frustrating, interesting, sometimes quite disappointing, and again - I think with Mr. Obama, at the same time - very hopeful. No matter what 'side of the fence' you're on, HOPE is the key word and we need it!<br /><br />I hope to see you out there in the Jazz Scene soon.<br />Thank you for listening!<br /><br />KarrinKarrin Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06538555421398012211noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-75649578935104092642008-03-03T08:45:00.002-05:002008-03-02T08:49:58.573-05:00A Wonderful Start<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHi6E8mXrwxUAj5cW8QR1LIwfMdVEWEZkEEdDWulK3JN6bgVXPsX_sVoMP847LS3GViOhHs3OCLXlDrrbzzJIQEFRoKH5JLFkFgjULvQpfu_cERub9Azk_-KTc5OrJvC70pW1cBEioCx_9/s1600-h/KA_Green.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHi6E8mXrwxUAj5cW8QR1LIwfMdVEWEZkEEdDWulK3JN6bgVXPsX_sVoMP847LS3GViOhHs3OCLXlDrrbzzJIQEFRoKH5JLFkFgjULvQpfu_cERub9Azk_-KTc5OrJvC70pW1cBEioCx_9/s320/KA_Green.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173141087489036354" /></a>Hello and a very belated Happy New Year! <br /><br />I left off in November of last year. After the Thanksgiving holiday -which I spent happily with family in Minneapolis-- we headed to Fresno-- a wonderful start of their new series with a masterclass for the students at the University there. A very great group of people and we had a ball. Many thanks to John and Tama, Tom and the whole crew (Jim Totoian & crew too) and the very enthusiastic Fresno audience!<br /><br />Then onto Memphis, where we enjoyed doing a masterclass again for the general public and met several great/local musicians. Memphis has such an amazing jazz musical legacy-- some of our favorite players come from there: the late, great and sorely missed James Williams for one, as well as Mulgrew Miller, Harold Mabern just to name a few. The hall there in Germantown was beautiful; we had a great concert, many thanks to our sweet friend Mike Kelly.<br /><br />Some of my 'big news' is that I bought a house! In western Massachusetts along the Connecticut River-- it's another great adventure in my life, and though I still love living and being based in NYC, having a lovely retreat to go to when I get time off is a real dream come true for me.<br /><br />In January, we went to Honolulu to perform at the Academy of the Arts, had a wonderful, packed house-- all involved at the Academy made us feel right at home (again!) instantly. Also many thanks to the folks at Hawaii Public Radio and to my family there.<br /><br />Back to the main land and headed for Fayetteville Arkansas and Columbia Missouri. The flu season caught up with me there I'm afraid--- I got quite sick with it, and so did a few band members-- but we pulled it together and did our best. Our friends Robert and Susan Ginsberg were gems and a pleasure to work with in Fayetteville-- and Jon Posses' "We Always Swing" series is top notch. Many thanks to all of them and the great crowds.<br /><br />In February we visited (where else would you go in February?) VERMONT!! I had never been and loved it-- what a beautiful place Burlington is--right on Lake Champlain--looking across the lake to the Adirondacks, lovely! –Especially with quite a bit of snow. <br /><br />And thanks go to the folks at the University: Natalie and Jane-- and the wonderful crowd for Valentine's Day.<br /><br />Off to Tokyo as soon as I finish this; then to Florida, then to Tel Aviv... will catch my breath and write again.<br /><br />Thank you for checking in–<br /><br />KarrinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-61480461091462967602007-10-01T20:50:00.002-04:002008-02-27T22:28:23.245-05:00The Next Phase of My Musical Journey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiHP8FxJazpHNKIZsn9jofk7hoJ36eXKxnAtefh3sTbhYNV57cKyKjEkH7skYRBARnr1A9IEJMmnrsI58eCV3IUZyYjNmOHW21oBtYwAv49MKm1mzHJN6_hJOu3IiU0FX2UEQSBt9NiOX/s1600-h/KA_OnBeach_BioImagev2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiHP8FxJazpHNKIZsn9jofk7hoJ36eXKxnAtefh3sTbhYNV57cKyKjEkH7skYRBARnr1A9IEJMmnrsI58eCV3IUZyYjNmOHW21oBtYwAv49MKm1mzHJN6_hJOu3IiU0FX2UEQSBt9NiOX/s320/KA_OnBeach_BioImagev2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171867588699741202" /></a>Hi there -<br /><br />Last I wrote was way back in May! Hard to believe the summer is over and we are into fall and winter with the holiday season just around the corner.<br /><br />As you may have noticed on the new and “in progress” website, I have a new and exciting management and agency team. I had a good 5-year run with the folks at Stiletto Entertainment and William Morris Agency and appreciate all they have done.<br /><br />On this next phase of my musical journey and career I welcome <a href="http://www.amsartists.com/" target="_blank">AMS Artists - Anna Sala</a> (Management) and <a href="http://www.treelawn.org/" target="_blank">Treelawn Artists - Eric Hanson</a> (Agency). Holding down the web site and <a href="http://myspace.com/karrinallyson" target="_blank">MySpace</a> duties, I welcome back<a href="http://webjazz.net/" target="_blank"> Dean Hampton from Webjazz</a>. This new team will be of great help to me in reaching the same goals for great music making and getting it to more and more people like yourselves.<br /><br />Before going into the studio at the end of June, we made a quick stop in San Diego at the lovely new club "Anthology." Worked with some of my favorite west coast players: Larry Koonse, Tom Warrington and Joe LaBarbera. It’s always a pleasure to work with them. When in the LA area I also try to take the opportunity to see and work with my colleague, Chris Caswell, which we did. Writing with him is a wonderful and inspiring experience.<br /><br />A few New York State gigs like Norwood - way up there and a beautiful area. Paul Meyers, Ed Howard and Todd Strait were a great trio to play with. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSd0X3WibsPIPrT-9V8htItQ32qaR97Y-c3bXfXWmXcfEmiCoTycqIq0e2DccLhIARRVgi72u0sihrbsA_FYul6PGhSH3sSn50Vn2AkYuFuXDnVsDzs5WxkMXB2vIT8xpAneSujJoKygkC/s1600-h/KA_11_2008_Imagina.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSd0X3WibsPIPrT-9V8htItQ32qaR97Y-c3bXfXWmXcfEmiCoTycqIq0e2DccLhIARRVgi72u0sihrbsA_FYul6PGhSH3sSn50Vn2AkYuFuXDnVsDzs5WxkMXB2vIT8xpAneSujJoKygkC/s320/KA_11_2008_Imagina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171866957339548674" /></a>Then we started rehearsals for the new recording here at home in NYC with Rod Fleeman and Todd. We went into the studio on June 29. Steve Nelson (vibes), Gil Goldstein(piano & accordion, David Finck (bass) joined Rod, Todd and myself. What a band! It is a Brazilian project. It includes a varied selection of well-known and lesser-known tunes of Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Edu Lobo, Rosa Passos, among others. Also there are a few new English lyrics by Chris Caswell, Susannah McCorckle, Paul Williams and Gene Lees.<br /><br />After recording, I had welcome visitors from Hawaii. It was my sister and niece’s 1st visit ever to NYC! While they were here, we played Huntington, NY It was a beautiful outdoor venue there with a great new piano given by Billy Joel. Played with Paul Bollenback, Ed Howard and drummer Mark Ferber. It was under the stars and lovely!<br /><br />Then we headed to Worcester Mass at the Ecotarium. The folks at WICN have supported and played our music ever since our very 1st CD, "I Didn't Know About You." It's always a pleasure to be back there. I played with another great trio consisting of Paul Bollenback, Todd and bassist John Lockwood.<br /><br />The next stop was Buffalo, NY for an outdoor gig on a very hot day. They were wonderful people to play for. The trio on this was Paul Meyers, Vicente Archer and Todd. They did a great job.<br /><br />Next came Scullers in Boston and then the Litchfield, CT Jazz Festival with Steve Nelson, Doug Weiss, Rod and Todd. I loved playing with this group and in these great venues.<br /><br />Heading West we did another outdoor concert in Madison WI, then to Chicago at the Green Mill. Bassist Larry Kohut joined Rod, Todd and myself. Wonderful group in a favorite club.<br /><br />We went to Berkeley, CA at the Fantasy Studios to mix the Brazilian project. Working with Bill McGlaughlin (Producer), Nick Phillips (Producer) and Josiah Gluck (Engineer) is a treat. What an interesting process! One always learns a lot from these sessions.<br /><br />Then a whole different thing for me: a big band performance with the US Air Force Big Band, The Airmen of Note. This was a great experience with an amazing band and lovely people.<br /><br />This gig was recorded before live audience with MC for a later radio broadcast. Watch my web site schedule for more information about the broadcast - probably on NPR. I also tried out some new big band arrangements which is always fun.<br /><br />Back to LA at Catalina's, we had another good week with Todd, Larry Koonse and Tom Warrington. Chris Caswell sat in and played accordion. He knocked everybody out!<br /><br />Next was at Seattle's Jazz Alley, a jazz home away from home for us. My Mom usually joins me for the week while there and my Uncle Dave lives there so it is literally a family affair! Steve Nelson, Rod, Todd and Jeff Johnson formed a wonderful band. The Jazz Alley staff have also become our family! I Did a live on air performance with KPLU- FM. It’s also great to work with these people.<br /><br />We headed back to the midwest for a quick minute in Kansas City at the Starlight Theater. It was for a fund raiser for the Midwest Ear Institute’s HEARAid Gala titled, “The Cool Sounds of Jazz.” Got to see favorite friends Paul Smith and family, Dean, Gerald Spaits, among others.<br /><br />After that back west to Yakima, WA at the Season's for two special concerts: one with the Yakima Symphony with Bill McGlaughlin conducting, and then our quintet the next night. This is a great series that I admire so much. Pat Strosahl at the Seasons really knows how to make musicians feel at home and therefore, gets great results! If you're ever in that area, check this special series out.<br /><br />I stopped off in Portland after that to play at the newly renovated Jimmy Mac's, a lovely club I played with the Mel Brown Group and what fun that was. The next night I got to play with Nancy King at the Old Church, along with Steve Christofferson, Todd, and Ed Bennett.<br /><br />Finally back home to play a week at the great club, Dizzy's at Lincoln Center. Pianist and accordionist Joe Chindamo from Melbourne Australia joined Peter Washington, Todd, Nancy and I for a wonderful week.<br /><br />Most recently, we played in Dahlonega, GA. I really admire Andy for bringing more jazz to that area with beautiful rolling hills right outside of Atlanta. Keep up the good work Andy!<br /><br />OK, thank you for checking in! We are finally seeing signs of the colorful fall season here in NYC. I have been enjoying the parks here when I can I have seen some great migrating birds here and there - always inspiring to me.<br /><br />Here's hoping and striving for Peace for all.<br />Karrin</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-77092139305036491862007-06-08T11:33:00.002-04:002008-02-28T11:42:43.705-05:00Recommendations from the Road<span style="font-weight:bold;">Some live music I've heard and loved lately:</span><br /><br />Al Foster @ the Vanguard; <br />Violinist, Maria Bachmann at Merkin Hall; <br />Gene Bertoncini @ Le Madeline; <br />'Joyce' and Dori Caymmi at Birdland; <br />Paula West at the Jazz Standard; <br />and Steve Nelson at Smoke.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Books I've read:</span><br /><br />Kurt Vonnegut's latest short memoirs, <br />Lies my Teacher Taught Me, <br />The Bone People.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nature Places I've visited:</span><br /><br />Jamaica Bay in Queens, <br />The parks of NYC!!<br /><br />AND- <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Check this website out to RECYCLE YOUR CELL PHONE! Its' FREE!</span> <a href="http://www.recycleyourcellphone.org ">recycleyourcellphone.org </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-60405052151680932562007-06-07T11:32:00.001-04:002008-02-28T11:37:14.621-05:00The International Language of JazzHi there -<br /><br />Last time I wrote Rod Fleeman and I were headed for Europe. Our first performances were at the Blue Note in Milan, Italy. I had been there before and enjoyed this trip even more. I find Italian audiences to be extremely warm and enthusiastic. Throughout Europe, I tried to greet each audience with a SHORT greeting in THEIR language. They seemed to appreciate that, even when I fumbled. Since languages have always interested me, this is not a chore; it's a fun challenge. <br /><br />In Milan (and London and Turkey) we played with the London players: Alec Dankworth on bass and Tristan Maillot on drums. We had played with them 'way back when' while at Pizza on the Park in London, so it was great to see them again. <br /><br />After Milan, we played Ronnie Scotts in London. It was my first time there. Aside from our sets, it was fun listening to the house band there and the big band. There was a lot of music happening on those nights! We met some wonderful 'local' players and hung out with them along with some great singers as well. It's amazing how this music can bring folks together all over the world. Speaking of which, we then went for a 1-nighter in Vienna at Birdland. What a great place! Rod and I met the wonderful young bassist that same day, who played with us that night. He was also the leader in the house band after our sets, so we got to hear them. <br /><br />We were out early the very next day and on to Poland. It was my very first time there. Our first stop was in Warsaw. We met our promoter, Yavuz (wonderful man), who really treated us with such gracious hospitality. Played two nights in Warsaw and met some wonderful local folks along the way. One new friend even gave me a spa treatment on a very rare day off - how lovely! We played with two local players there. They were great guys. We also did a workshop at the Chopin Academy of the Arts. What a thrill to be in this historic place! Then, we even had tea with the American Ambassador of Poland. He also came to our performance which was a lovely experience. The next day we all took the train to Poznan, just outside Krakow. Very sweet town and if I say the people were great too often, that's because it's the truth! <br /><br />Taking the train back to Warsaw the very next day, a cab from the train station to the airport, a plane through Istanbul to Ankara (capital of Turkey), THAT was a LONG DAY! At least we had the 'night off,' getting in around 11:00 pm! In Ankara we played a beautiful theatre. I was told the Turkish Ambassador was there. Something I find interesting is how it seems that government officials in other countries really enjoy jazz and make an effort to get to the concerts. What an unusual thing that is! In Brazil and Japan this is certainly true as well.<br /><br />The next day we were off to the amazing city of Istanbul. What a place - unlike anywhere I've seen! We stayed on the Bosphorous and could see Asia from the hotel room. (What I didn't know was that Istanbul is part of both Europe and Asia.) The beautiful club we played is really THE place to be there. They packed the place and so many people knew our music. That was really true everywhere. It’s a real a thrill to go so far away and get requests for songs we've recorded over the last 15 years. The three gentlemen who own it are great entrepreneurs with real style and a great love for jazz. We met a wonderful young pianist (Uraz) who sat in with us. He was Yavuz's son. They also took us to a bizarre in Istanbul. That was quite an experience to bargain with the shop owners. We saw several beautiful mosques. I truly can't wait to return to all these places. They were all so very kind to us. <br /><br />Back in the US, our gig in Jacksonville, FL was great in spite of the gale force winds that blew everything and everyone all over the place! What a great festival though! After Jacksonville we headed south to Miami to the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club. It’s a very cool place in a very old, grand hotel. Great crowd there too. We loved playing with the Omaha Symphony again at the Holland Center. This was a celebration for Cancer Survivors. Bill McGlaughlin conducted and my 'KC band' played beautifully.<br /><br />Then, we went to Minneapolis’ Dakota Bar & Grill, a favorite place. We had a great band there with Steve Wilson, Laura Caviani, Larry Kohut and Phil Hey. And it's always good to see family and friends there. <br /><br />Then to another favorite spot: Birdland in NYC. We had another amazing band there: Steve Nelson, Rod Fleeman, Todd Strait and Doug Weiss. It was a wonderful week in that great club. <br /><br />We played a very sweet festival in Edmond's WA, where they are focused on music in the schools (yeh!) and also a fund raiser for kids who are burn victims. The kids and community orchestra bands played concerts all week long. It was a very good vibe for all and great to be a part of. <br /><br />We record at the end of June. We’ve been working hard on that. Hope it will be released at the beginning of '08. <br /><br />Hope to see you out and about soon and THANK YOU for listening.<br />KarrinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-74714743017406110622007-02-01T11:33:00.001-05:002008-02-28T11:45:27.246-05:00Gigs Across AmericaGreetings!<br /><br />Last time I wrote it was late October 2006. A very belated Happy New Year to you.<br /><br />In November we played Washington D.C.'s historic club, Blues Alley. It's got that old true jazz club feel and was great fun with Rod, Todd and bassist Ed Howard who is from DC. He was Shirley Horn's last bassist and is a beautiful player. The Sharon Lyn Center for the Arts in Brookfield, Wisconsin (suburb of Milwaukee) was sold out and a beautiful theater. Bruce, Bob, Todd and Rod played beautiful as ever too.<br /><br />Salt Lake City, Utah we had another sold out concert. This WONDERFUL series is headed by Gordon Hanks who really knows how to run it and how to treat musicians (and the audience). We had one more 2006 concert (in warmer climes!) in amazing Palm Springs. CA at the Annenburg Theater. It’s a lovely place to be, especially for a few days.<br /><br />Just before Christmas we suffered a real blow when our drummer, Todd Strait broke his collar bone. It has been a real challenge for him and us. He is a trooper and still dealing with it not being totally healed. How did he do it? I'll let you ask him but it was very scary bad luck and we're lucky and glad he's alive.<br /><br />So, needless to say Todd needed to take some time off. We were very lucky to get the wonderful KC based drummer, Tommy Ruskin, on very short notice for our New Year’s Eve performance at the KC Repertory Theatre (and the National Public Radio live broadcast for “Toast of the Nation”). He also played with us at our Inaugural Performance for Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Danny Embrey and Paul Smith joined us for the the New Year’s Eve gig. It was great to play with both of them again. It was an honor to be part of both of these gigs! <br /><br />While in KC a dear friend and I visited a beautiful bird refuge called Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Many eagles hang out there because there are a lot of geese around. It’s beautiful to watch the formations and hear that incredible racket they make as a group - pretty intense!<br /><br />Between each of the KC area gigs, we rushed in the new year with a lovely time in Sanibel, Florida. We were lucky in finding the great drummer for this concert. Marty Morrell is based near there. (Remember Marty from the Bill Evans Trio days.) It is a real pleasure to work with him as well as Rod, Bruce and Bob. While there I visited another refuge (the "Ding Darling") by myself. I came across a very large crocodile, fortunately with some warning by other tourists. We found out later that ‘she’ is a regular there. We steered clear and were pretty astounded. What a lovely place! I'm always on the look out for these natural places, especially if I have time while on the road (and when I can make time). It's very important to me to GET OUTSIDE!<br /><br />Back in New York Bill and I attended some fun holiday gatherings for some favorite musicians and other folks in the biz ... the annual Nola Recording Studio party (with host Jim Czak) in the Steinway building. Saw tons of musicians there including Blossom Dearie, George Shearing, Grady Tate, Jackie Williams, guitarists Howard Alden and Joe Giglio, pianists Mike Renzi, Larry Ham and Lawrence Hobgood. We heard several very cool duo and trio piano tunes (lots of pianos in there of course). What a treat! <br /><br />Also attended the 10-year celebration for the independent label “ArtistLed” of David Finckel and Wu Hann (talented cellist and pianist dynamic duo). No small feat and they were forerunners of the idea of artists running and owning their records/label. They have been very successful. <br /><br />During IAJE in NYC we went to hear Nancy King at The Jazz Standard, also Terrell Stafford. We got to hear Jon Hendricks and his group at Birdland and I sat in with them (a very quick 'Cloudburst' - Lord help me!). They all sounded great. Very sadly, it was also announced during this time that we lost Alice Coltrane and Michael Brecker. Big losses for us all.<br /><br />Our next gig was in the LA area (Fullerton) at Steamers with Nancy King and her wonderful pianist Steve Christofferson, Todd (his first gig back and sounded amazing) and our dear friend and great bassist, Tom Warrington. Many of my family members were there (Mom, two sisters and Bill). <br /><br />Then, we all attended the Grammy's. I had been asked to be a presenter during the pre-telecast portion (this is from about 1:30 until 4:30 when the telecast part starts). I presented 15 Grammy’s in all. Among them some amazing artists like, Ruby Dee (for Best Spoken Word), Chic Corea, Tony Bennett, several to Michael Brecker presented posthumously, Dave Douglas, and Peter Frampton (!). Among my fellow presenters were Lynn Redgrave and Charlie Pride. <br /><br />I was truly happy for Nancy Wilson who also won this year. For me to be nominated in the same category is a great honor, especially with two of my inspirations: Nancy King and Nancy Wilson. The after party was great fun. We found the room with "Kool and the Gang" playing their hearts out and danced ours out. Love that band!<br /><br />Back to reality: the weather and trying to fly in it. Trying to make it to Omaha to do our POPS concerts with the Omaha Symphony was a challenge. It took 36 hours to make it from NYC to Omaha. So, we missed our first rehearsal completely (stuck in Detroit) and Rod, coming in from Europe, missed both rehearsals and of course, lost his luggage. The show must go on and everyone rose to the occasion. It was a real thrill for me to sing and play with my band (in this case, Rod, Paul, Bob and Todd) and a symphony orchestral with Bill (McGlaughlin) conducting. I hope to record that way some day. Bill's arrangements fit our approach very well as he had heard our band countless times.<br /><br />I saw so many old friends, even my first grade teacher! It was wonderful to be a part of all that and also to see my Dad and Ardi in the audience.<br /><br />After Sunday's performance we went to hear Luigi and his band at Mr. Toad's in the Old Market - my old stomping grounds. It was great to hear them and we loved it.<br /><br />Looks like it's onto Europe in about three weeks and we are looking forward to it.<br /><br />Peace and Love to all and thank you for listening ...<br />KarrinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-36907975041429726852006-11-01T11:33:00.001-05:002008-02-28T11:48:19.074-05:00Cool Smoke, Sweet Rhythms & Dizzy FunHi there -<br /><br />It’s been awhile... <br /><br />I had some time off in June and July so I took that opportunity to hear and sit in with some folks. Bruce Barth had the weekend gig at the cool uptown NYC club called “Smoke.” Sang a tune or two with them which was a treat for me and they sounded great. In Rochester, NY at the Woodcliff Lodge I was a guest with pianist Eldar Djangirov and his trio. That was quite fun. And what energy! This great venue is sadly not happening for awhile due to a change of ownership. Pete McCrossen was the very gracious host and talent buyer. We will really miss him and the venue.<br /><br />Next, in Kansas City to play a favorite venue in August, “The Blue Room.” Always good to be there with Bob, Rod and Todd. Saw many friends and lots of family. The Blue Room (part of the American Jazz Museum) is in the historic area of KC called “18th and Vine.” We love and appreciate them for being part of what keeps jazz ALIVE in KC. Back in NYC, I sat in at Sweet Rhythm with the wonderful tenor player, Bob Kindred (also with Kansas City roots). He and his band sounded sweet and lovely. <br /><br />In September, from the Big Apple to the Little Apple. We played a very cool benefit event at the Kansas State University Alumni Center, Manhattan, KS, for Friend of the Beach Art Museum. I truly loved being 'back on the prairie' at that time of year. While hiking in the area we even heard coyotes and owls at night. (OK, we had to go searching for them a little, but they were there!) While in the area, we were also invited to visit a lovely horse and buffalo farm. We had wonderful hosts during that whole visit to Manhattan. We left there to play a private event in Austin, Texas at the Four Seasons. What a neat city! I wish I'd had more time in it.<br /><br />Seattle at Jazz Alley was next. Always love being there. That trip also included singing the US National and Canadian anthems for a Seattle Mariner's vs. Toronto Blue Jay’s baseball game. I had done that before and it's a kick!<br /><br />The next week was in Oakland, CA at Yoshi’s. My Mom and I took an over-night train together from Seattle to Oakland. That was really fun - trains ROCK! Yoshi’s is a great venue. I sang there with both Nancy King and Jon Hendricks. What great nights of music we had! The band (Bruce, Todd and Peter Barshay) played beautifully. We hope to do more of those shows with Jon and Nancy - the Footprints team. Also got to meet Rita Moreno who was in the audience. What a great lady! The wonderful singers Madeline Eastman and Paula West also dropped by.<br /><br />Back to NYC at Dizzy's (Lincoln Center) with Nancy, Bruce, Todd and bassist Vicente Archer for a great week there. Many 'luminaries' drop in throughout the week: Wynton Marsalis, Eric Clapton (who had been playing across the hall), Mark Murphy, Freddie Cole, Jackie Cain, Helen Merrill and Barbara Feldon. The pianist David Budway played with us the last night. It was great fun.<br /><br />Our next stop with Nancy was in St. Paul, MN at the Fitzgerald Theatre (where the movie, “Prairie Home Companion” was recently filmed). Loved working there and saw many friends and family. Pianist Laura Caviani, along with Bob and Todd sounded beautiful.<br /><br />Following were some one-nighters, double billing with Diane Schuur. We played beautiful theaters in Birmingham, AL; Atlanta, GA; and Charlottesville, VA. Great fun. From there we went West to another great venue in El Cerritos CA. in their Performing Arts Center. Todd and I played with favorite 'local' LA players: guitarist, Larry Koonse and bassist Tom Warrington. We were treated to great audiences in a great venue.<br /><br />Heading East to the Windy City for gigs at a favorite historic Chicago 'joint' (the one and only owner- Dave Jemilo would approve of that term), “The Green Mill.” He runs that place like nobody's business and we love being there. The first time I played there (one of my first 'national' gigs way back when) he gave me a “life-time verbal contract” which I'm happy to still be fulfilling. Todd and I played with great Chicago bassist Larry Kohut and wonderful Seattle pianist Randy Halberstadt. Bill McGlaughlin joined us there and was accompanied by many of his radio colleagues at WFMT. <br /><br />The next stops were in Omaha and Lincoln. We did a masterclass at my alma mater, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) for music students. They were held in the same auditorium where as a student, I had attended soooo many concerts, given both my junior/senior piano recitals, and heard Dizzy Gillespie and Mel Torme give masterclasses. It was quite a feeling! That night we performed for the UNO Alumni folks and were happy to do so.<br /><br />In the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) we performed at the beautiful Lied Center with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. They've been together for over 25 years. It was thrilling to play with such a great big band. We did lots of masterclasses with UNL students while there and really enjoyed it. Next was in Denver at a great new club called The Soiled Dove. Strange name for a jazz club but don't let that throw you. It's a great place and I hope to go back soon.<br /><br />That’s it for now. The year will soon be over which is hard to believe. Peace and love to all and <br />Thank you for listening . . .<br /><br />KarrinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-1760645106345573312006-07-01T11:33:00.004-04:002008-02-28T11:57:58.600-05:00Groovin' AwayGreetings, it's been awhile!<br /><br />Way back in February Rod Fleeman and I performed with the Jazz Surge Big Band in Florida, a very nice group of players and great crowds. Singing with a big band is fun for me and I enjoy the change. It's also great when the band leader is flexible and open to ideas, which he was!<br /><br />Onto Pittsburgh, PA at the Manchester's Craftman's Guild with Rod, Todd and Bob - This was a very cool venue. We need more of those! We double billed with the Freddy Cole Trio for four nights. Really enjoyed them. Next, onto Erie, PA for the Jazz Society concert. They were very good to us. I hope their series continues to be successful. Next, we played in Kansas City at the Heartland Theater. It’s always good to be back there. Played along side some KC favorites for this fund raiser - great fun!<br /><br />Kennedy Center was a treat. We enjoyed the beautiful hall and the wonderful crowd. Bruce Barth, Rod, Bob and the addition of drummer (and native Omahan - like me), Victor Lewis was one swingin' band. In April, we went to Sioux Falls, SD. I saw many familiar faces there: friends who had driven from several different areas, even my Mom! Also a good venue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zUd4wE4vX0NHCcSr0omHWGIIXmTH0fLuOfGLbihx9_BE2s5Y3tEq9Px1cDieUuU9G0u6JdluYW1uEYI3z9UboxZojzdRRPoz47yo7xQ4FLDmI1LxZBaL7gwwPw5hWgqw45xhrGkcV6jX/s1600-h/KA_10_2006_Footprints.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zUd4wE4vX0NHCcSr0omHWGIIXmTH0fLuOfGLbihx9_BE2s5Y3tEq9Px1cDieUuU9G0u6JdluYW1uEYI3z9UboxZojzdRRPoz47yo7xQ4FLDmI1LxZBaL7gwwPw5hWgqw45xhrGkcV6jX/s320/KA_10_2006_Footprints.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172075130109418546" /></a>Onto Philadelphia, PA for shows at the Zanzibar Blue. I really enjoy Philly and that club. Bruce, bassist Doug Weiss, Todd and I had a great weekend. Then, a week at the Blue Note in NYC double billing again with Ron Carter. '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Footprints-Karrin-Allyson/dp/B000EF5NDK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1204217661&sr=8-1">Footprints</a>' was just released and this was a good send off. Along with Bruce, Todd and bassist Ed Howard and the wonderful sax man, Steve Wilson made up the band. We had an excellent week there. Next was another great city - Boston, and at another favorite venue - Scullers. Bassist Vicente Archer joined Bruce, Todd and I there. It’s always a pleasure to be in that club.<br /><br />Then I journeyed across the country to the lovely area of Yakima, Washington where guitarist Dan Balmer and bassist Jeff Johnson joined Todd and me. It was a very fun band and special venue. That's a series definitely worth checking out. Back in NYC, we got to hear Nancy King and Fred Hersch at the Jazz Standard, It was a wonderful evening, both are amazing musicians.<br /><br />Bruce and I were invited to Toronto to perform in a JazzFM 91 celebration - great group of people at that station. On some time off, Bill and I went to see birds in Cape May. Beautiful wildlife sanctuaries there and we saw some amazing dolphins too! We dined at The Merion Inn where our friends/pianist, George Mesterhazy and Vicki run a wonderful restaurant with jazz (George!) What a charming place!<br /><br />Bruce invited me to join him on a benefit for “John Hall for Congress.” It was a fun event with good music and a good cause. Ed Howard and Montez Coleman joined us too. The very next day, onto LA to play Catalina's. I got to work a little with good friend (and lyricist on “Footprints”), Chris Caswell on some projects. I also appeared (as pianist/singer) on an episode of the popular soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Interesting experience! Pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Tom Warrington, guitarist Larry Koonse, Todd and I had all a great week at Catalina's. I'd never been to “The Hampton's” before and this venue was beautiful. Got a glimpse of the beach too. Unfortunately there's not usually enough time to sight see. We try to when we can and would like to go back there.<br /><br />The Rochester International Jazz Festival was one of the most enjoyable festivals I've ever played. They really know how to put it on there. They had great crowds, beautiful venues, and varied artists. We (Bruce, Todd, Vicente and I) played two full shows and one was filmed for PBS. We will try to let people know if that is aired nationally.<br /><br />Onto the Toledo, OH Festival where I had invited Nancy King to join us. Ann Arbor bassist Paul Keller joined us too. We were all looking forward to a great outdoor set but the weather had a different idea. We were caught in a huge storm and after four very wild attempts at playing, we all had to ‘high-tail it’ for shelter. Jon Hendricks was set to join us for a tune or two, but none of that got to happen - too bad! After it let up, Jon did do an abbreviated (but spirited, of course) set. Then the weather cleared up and Al Jareau played. Very fun to hear him groovin' away. We hope to go back and "finish it” sometime!<br /><br />I got to hear the Vanguard Orchestra the other night. They very kindly played the Thad Jones tune, “Tiptoe” at my request. They sounded great! Just back from Coral Gables, FL. Speaking of weather, last year Katrina was just on her way through when we went there. It was quite an experience. But, we played the concert this time to an enthusiastic, sold out crowd in a beautifully renovated church that has an interesting, eclectic series, also very worth checking out.<br /><br />I am now looking forward to a low-key summer with some travel for fun too. Also, I’ll be spending time at home in NYC working on different projects.<br /><br />I want to thank those of you who write in to comment about our performances and how you are enjoying “Footprints.” I appreciate your words of encouragement and your support. Also MANY thanks to Jazz Radio for helping make “Footprints” #1 for 7 weeks!! This is fantastic! THANK YOU!!! <br /><br />Hope to see you down the road somewhere and <br />Thank you for listening . . .<br />KarrinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030442913790415437.post-91523177801266986382006-02-01T11:33:00.003-05:002008-03-02T08:55:59.104-05:00FootprintsHello there -<br /><br />It's been awhile! Looking back at the end of 2005 just before we recorded this next project... NYC's Dizzy's Coca Cola Club in Lincoln Center has got to be one of the prettiest clubs anywhere. With a great view of Central Park and a very beautiful interior, it's a pleasure to play there. Nancy King and I, along with Bruce Barth, Todd Strait and Peter Washington did a night of (mostly) Charlie Parker tunes. It was a blast.<br /><br />With these same players plus Nancy and Jon Hendricks, we recorded the next album called “Footprints.” It will be out in mid-April. I'm very excited about it. Then, we went onto Spokane, WA to play with the big band there. It was a great group of players and a wonderful crowd.<br /><br />Next, we did a gig at Pepperdine University with Bruce, Joe LaBarbera and Tom Warrington. This was without the benefit of our luggage and a very late flight arrival. I went on stage with airplane attire, no sound check, and not feeling very well. But it seems that people understood and I'm very grateful! Still with no luggage I 'stopped off' in Los Cruces, NM to hear the premier of my friend Bill McGlaughlin's new piece with the orchestra there. It was sublime.<br /><br />The next stop was in Seattle at Jazz Alley and still no luggage. Fortunately my Mom got to come to that one, and I borrowed her clothes. Fortunately she's very hip. Playing with Bruce, Todd, Rod and Jeff Johnson just got better every night. It was a great band and we always love Jazz Alley. Rod and I did a live thing at KPLU-FM with folks who had written lyrics to “Let's Do It” for a fund raiser. Dick Stein's very cute idea - really fun. The last two days there I got my luggage. Traveling is definitely not glamorous but it gets you there!<br /><br />I went to Berkeley, CA to Fantasy Records Studios to mix the new CD with Nick Phillips (our producer) and Bill. We had AMAZING weather there in such a beautiful place and I got to take a couple fun hikes. Back to NYC we played Birdland with Bob Bowman, Todd and a new pianist (for me), George Mesterhazy. We had a great week. Birdland is one of my favorite clubs.<br /><br />Onto St. Louis for a one nighter at a club called Finale with Todd, Gerald Spaits on bass, and St. Louis pianist, Reggie Thomas. From there we headed to another favorite spot: Kansas City! In KC we played the beautiful GEM Theater in the historic 18th & Vine district. Rod and Bob joined us. Bob's mom, Jean Bowman, passed away that weekend. We all loved Jean. She was a great supporter of the music and a special lady.<br /><br />I went to Minneapolis where my Mom and sister, Elisa live. We did a concert and several masters classes for Elisa's kid’s school. The group with me there was with Todd, Laura Caviani and bassist Gordy Johnson. The kids also played for us. I admire teachers so much!! And I admire parents who encourage their kids in music. It's harder these days to do that and budget cuts in the arts are no help . . . so, good for them!<br /><br />After hanging there for Thanksgiving, it was back to NYC. I played a Clos du Val private party (fund raiser) in New Jersey with Bruce and bassist Vicente Archer. Great wine and food! I had a restful December/holiday season at home: had a few get togethers with friends, got to go hear live music, and went to the opera at the Met. Then we visited family in Philadelphia. On into the New Year, we (Bruce, Todd and Vicente) played a concert at the IAJE Convention in NYC. As always, we saw so many friends/musicians there.<br /><br />Next, onto New Orleans for a concert/fund raiser for WNO at the historic Snug Harbor in the French Quarter. Fred Kasten did a magnificent job of putting it together and we had great crowds. I played with the wonderful 'local' band there “Astral Project.” What an interesting and energetic band and great group of guys!<br /><br />It was quite an experience to be there this time of course. Yes, there is so much devastation, yes - our government needs to follow through (hook up the FEMA trailers for starters!) ... Still, I have to say the spirit is still there in that great city. Wynton Marsalis has said (many other too) that it's so vital for New Orleans to maintain it's unique CULTURE (as well as getting the city running again) Amen! We all need to do anything we can to help.<br /><br />I just got back from two wonderful weeks in Hawaii visiting with my sister, Tracy. Another unique culture that needs preserving however we can.<br /><br />All for now, and thank you for listening and for reading.<br />KarrinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0